Multistage Vertical Axis Wind Turbine

Abstract

A multistage wind turbine or network of wind turbines with improved and optimized wind-directing, wind-shaping, and wind-power conversion features is disclosed. The shapes of these features directly affect the ability of the multistage wind turbine to use the power of moving air, to spin a rotor and create torque on a rotor shaft to generate electrical, thermal and/or other forms of energy. The wind-power-conversion mechanical efficiency described significantly improves upon previous designs by conversion of wind energy into electrical power at a superior price-to-performance ratio compared with existing alternative energy technologies.

I claim: 
     
         1 . One or more multistage wind turbines comprising;
 a first stage portion with a first static stator and a vertical axis dynamic rotor that has vertical axis turbine blades mechanically connected to one or more rotational drive shafts that rotate said one or more rotational drive shafts in either a clockwise or counterclockwise direction and a second stage portion with a conical portion and a vertical axis dynamic rotor—that includes second rotor axial turbine blades mechanically connected to said one or more rotational drive shafts wherein said first stage portion utilizes airflow that continues into said vertical axis wind turbine blades from wind sources to provide torque that overcomes an inertial static force of said one or more rotational drive shafts so that said vertical axis turbine blades cause rotation of said one or more rotational drive shafts and wherein wind continues past said vertical axis turbine blades through said conical portion, which is contained within said vertical axis dynamic rotor and toward said second rotor axial turbine blades whereby said second rotor axial turbine blades provide additional torque that adds rotational force to said one or more rotational drive shafts,   wherein said one or more rotational drive shafts provides energy to at least one energy conversion device, wherein said second stage portion is attached to a venturi top or bottom section that includes one or more vanes within said venturi top or bottom section such that air flow continues through said second stage axial turbine blades and enters said venturi top or bottom section that includes one or more vanes, and exhausts through a low-pressure zone created by said venturi top or bottom section.   
     
     
         2 . The low-pressure zone of  claim 1 , wherein said low-pressure zone contains a pressure lower than ambient pressure that exists without exhaust of said air flow into said venturi top or bottom section. 
     
     
         3 . The multistage wind turbines of  claim 1 , wherein said conical portion itself acts as a second stator for said second rotor. 
     
     
         4 . The multistage wind turbines of  claim 1 , wherein said conical portion includes one or more curved sections. 
     
     
         5 . The multistage wind turbines of  claim 1 , wherein said conical portion includes one or more curved vanes. 
     
     
         6 . The multistage wind turbines of  claim 1 , wherein said first stage portion and said second stage portion are an initial tandem stage in that one or more sets of additional tandem stages can be added to said initial tandem stage. 
     
     
         7 . The one or more multistage wind turbines of  claim 1 , wherein said one or more multistage wind turbines includes a generator that operates by rotation of said one or more rotational drive shafts, wherein said generator includes a tachometer that measures rotational speed of said one or more rotational drive shafts and a controller that controls an ability to convert kinetic mechanical energy from said one or more rotational drive shafts of said generator to an output load energy,
 wherein said controller also measures said rotational speed of said one or more rotational drive shafts and utilizes measurement of said rotational speed of said one or more rotational drive shafts to control conversion of a desired amount of said kinetic mechanical energy to said output load energy.   
     
     
         8 . The one or more multistage wind turbines of  claim 7 , wherein wind energy is a form of kinetic energy that is subsequently converted into said output load energy that is electrical energy, mechanical energy and/or thermal energy. 
     
     
         9 . The one or more multistage wind turbines of  claim 7 , wherein said generator is selected from one or more of a group of generators consisting of: an induction generator, a hydraulic power unit including a pump, an air compressor, a synchronous electrical generator, a variable reluctance generator wherein reluctance is a measurement of an ability of a magnetic field to pass through a substance, an electric motor, a permanent magnet electric motor, a brush motor, and an electrostatic motor. 
     
     
         10 . The one or more multistage wind turbines of  claim 7 , wherein said controller provides for connection and engagement with said generator with one or more valves that control flow of generated energy to said output load energy, wherein said output load energy is an output energy that is measured by utilization of as measurement of shaft speed by said tachometer that is greater than a predetermined speed. 
     
     
         11 . The one or more multistage wind turbines of  claim 10 , wherein said predetermined speed is dependent on a minimum amount of energy generation that produces an amount of energy needed to provide useful output load energy, wherein said useful output load energy is defined as energy that must be greater than a minimum potential and/or inertial energy required to operate devices. 
     
     
         12 . The valves of  claim 10 , wherein said valves comprise electrical contactors, switches, relays, solid state electronic devices, transistors, FET (field effect transistors), MOSFET (metal oxide field effect transistors), SCR (silicon controlled rectifier), TRIAC (TRIode (for) alternating current), vacuum sealed electronic devices (vacuum tubes), gas filled electronic devices, solenoids, gate valves, variable frequency electric converters, variable voltage converters, variable current electrical converters, and battery chargers. 
     
     
         13 . A network of multistage wind turbines wherein said multistage wind turbines each comprise;
 a first stage portion with a first static stator, a vertical axis dynamic rotor that has vertical axis turbine blades attached to at least single rotational drive shaft that rotates said single drive shaft in either a clockwise or counterclockwise direction and at least a second stage portion with a second stator and an axial rotor that includes second rotor axial turbine blades attached to said single rotational drive shaft wherein said first stage portion utilizes airflow directed into said multistage vertical axis wind turbine blades from wind sources to provide torque that overcomes a rotational drive shaft inertial static force so that said vertical axis turbine blades move rapidly enough to force rotation of said single rotational drive shaft and wherein said airflow continues past said vertical axis turbine blades through a conical portion contained within said first rotor and toward second stator axial turbine blades whereby said axial rotor provides additional torque that adds rotational force to said single rotational drive shaft wherein said single rotational drive shaft provides energy to one or more energy conversion devices.   
     
     
         14 . The network of multistage wind turbines of  claim 13 , wherein said network includes one or more controllers that control said multistage wind turbines such that collective wind for inoperative single multistage wind turbines can be overcome by use of said network whereby said network feeds additional energy and power into any single multistage wind turbine that requires said additional energy and power to initiate or maintain operations. 
     
     
         15 . The network of multistage wind turbines of  claim 13 , wherein said network communicates via energized signals sent as wired or wireless signals via light beams, lasers, transmission or receiver power lines, and to and from satellites. 
     
     
         16 . The network of multistage wind turbines of  claim 13 , wherein said network is further controlled by bidirectional signals transmitted from one more local or remote controllers that can transmit, receive, or transceive said signals and that include data storage capabilities which are securitized and/or encrypted. 
     
     
         17 . A method for obtaining energy and power efficiency from wind comprising; utilizing one or more multistage wind turbines, said one or more wind turbines having a first stage portion with a first static stator and a vertical axis dynamic rotor that has vertical axis turbine blades mechanically connected to attached to one or more rotational drive shafts that rotate said one or more rotational drive shafts in either a clockwise or counterclockwise direction and at least a second stage portion with a second stator conical portion and an axial rotor a vertical axis dynamic rotor that includes second rotor axial turbine blades mechanically connected to attached to said single one or more rotational drive shaft shafts wherein said first stage portion utilizes airflow that continues directed into said vertical axis wind turbine blades from wind sources to provide torque that overcomes an inertial static force of said one or more rotational drive shafts so that said vertical axis turbine blades cause rotation of said one or more rotational drive shafts and such that wherein wind continues past said vertical axis turbine blades through a conical portion contained within said axial rotor said conical portion, which is contained within said vertical axis dynamic rotor and toward said second rotor axial turbine blades whereby said second rotor axial turbine blades provide additional torque that adds rotational force to said one or more rotational drive shafts, wherein said one or more rotational drive shafts provides energy to at least one energy conversion device. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein said second stator is attached to an air exhaust venturi top or bottom section that includes one or more vanes within said air exhaust venturi top or bottom section such that air flow is continuing through said second stator axial turbine blades and escaping through an enhanced low-pressure zone created by said air exhaust venturi top section. 
     
     
         19 . The low-pressure zone of  claim 18 , wherein a low-pressure zone contains a pressure lower than ambient pressure that exits without said air exhaust venturi top or bottom section. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein said conical portion itself acts as a second stator for said second rotor. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein said conical portion includes one or more curved sections. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein said conical portion includes one or more curved vanes. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 17 , where said first and second stages are an initial tandem stage in that one or more sets of additional tandem stages can be added to said initial tandem stage. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 17 , further including wherein said method includes a generator operating by generating energy from rotation of said one or more single rotational drive shaft shafts, wherein said generator also includes a tachometer measuring rotational speed of said one or more rotational drive shafts and a controller for controlling an ability to convert conversion of kinetic mechanical energy from said one or more rotational drive shafts of said generator to an output load energy wherein said controller also measures said rotational speed of said one or more rotational drive shafts and utilizes measurement of said rotational speed of said one or more rotational drive shafts in order to allow controlling conversion of a desired amount of said kinetic mechanical energy to said output load energy. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein said wind energy is a form of kinetic energy that is subsequently converted into said output load energy, wherein said output load energy is electrical energy, mechanical energy and/or thermal energy. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein said generator is selected from one or more of a group of generators consisting of: an induction generator, a hydraulic power unit including a pump, an air compressor, a synchronous electrical generator, a variable reluctance generator wherein reluctance is a measurement of an ability of a magnetic field to pass through a substance, an electric motor, a permanent magnet electric motor, a brush motor, and an electrostatic motor. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 24 , wherein said controller also provides for connection and engagement with said generator with one or more valves that control flow of generated energy to said output load energy, wherein said output load energy is an output energy that is measured by utilization of as measurement of shaft speed by said tachometer that is greater than a predetermined speed. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 27 , wherein said predetermined speed is dependent on a minimum amount of energy generation that produces an amount of energy needed to provide useful output load energy, wherein said useful output load energy must be greater than a potential and/or inertial energy required to operate devices. 
     
     
         29 . The valves of  claim 27 , wherein said valves comprise electrical contactors, switches, relays, solid state electronic devices, transistors, FET (field effect transistors), MOSFET (metal oxide field effect transistors), SCR (silicon controlled rectifier), TRIAC (TRIode (for) alternating Current), vacuum sealed electronic devices (vacuum tubes), gas filled electronic devices, solenoids, gate valves, variable frequency electric converters, variable voltage converters, variable current electrical converters, and battery chargers.