| 摘要 |
<p>Most wind energy conversion systems require maintenance because of moving parts, such as turbine bearings, swivel bearings (for directing the turbine into a changeable wind) and at least one set of gears. The present invention largely eliminates this problem by using almost no moving parts. It includes a flexible sheet or fabric (14), supported under tension within a housing frame (12) which guides an airflow therethrough and across the surfaces of the membrane. As the airflow passes over the surfaces, vortices are created which cause the membrane to vibrate. Energy conversion units (16) are coupled to the membrane to tap the oscillatory motion and convert it into other useful energy forms, e.g., electrical, hydraulic or mechanical. Alternately, the membrane can be formed of a plurality of fabric strips that are connected to the energy conversion unit and are dimensioned in width equal to the pitch of the vortices. The distances between the strips preferable are also equal in dimension to the vortices' pitch. </p> |
