A Summary Overview
of the
Bl kh k Wind
Blackhawk
Wi d Turbine
T bi
3/4/10
B. Boatner,EE
Lead Engineer/Partner
The Blackhawk Project, LLC
B i ID
Boise,
The Blackhawk Wind Turbine
What is the VAWT/AR*?
((*Vertical
Vertical Axis Wind Turbine w/ Articulating Rotor)
• A new sub-class of VAWT
• Uses
U rotor tilt
il to controll AOA (A
(Angle
l off A
Attack)
k)
• The first major technological breakthrough since
the
h D
Darrieus
i
patent (1931)
(1931), complying
l i with
i h the
h
Betz Equations.
• Combination
C bi i off helicopter
h li
rotor head
h d andd wind
i d
turbine design
• Result
R l off 7 years off researchh
• No directly related prior art in USPTO
• U.S. Patent #7,677,862
The Betz Theorem – 1929
The “Bible” of wind turbine design
• Maximum theoretical efficiency = 59.6%
• Slow
Sl
incoming
i
i air
i mass by
b no more than
th 1/3
• Minimize solidity quotient
• Maximize Tip
p Speed
p
Ratio ((TSR))
• Bottom Line: Least number of blades traveling at
a maximum possible speed
From Patent Application:
2-Bladed and 3-Bladed variations shown
How does the VAWT/AR work?
1. Wind causes Rotor Tilt
2. Rotor Tilt sets Airfoil Angle of Attack (AOA)
3. Airfoil AOA creates Aerodynamic Lift
4. Aerodynamic
y
Lift creates Rotation/Torque
q
5. Self-corrects for gy
gyroscopic
p pprecession.
Action of wind (403,404) against the side of the airfoils (405, 406)
causes tilting force (409) on the rotor arm (401).
When the rotor (18) tilts, the stationary pushrods (41, 42) cause
the airfoils (11, 12) to change angles due to different radii.
Power is produced cyclically
in 2 main quadrants
Main Rotor Tilt controls Pitch of Airfoils
Elastomeric dampeners limit rotor tilt
Operating characteristics
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Very high torque due to long moment arms
Large
g working
g areas for more ppower
Dynamic response to wind and load conditions
Self-limiting to prevent run-aways
No external wind alignment mechanics
Self-starting at low wind speeds
Very quiet compared to most turbines
Blackhawk AFPMG*
(*Axial Flux Permanent Magnet Generator)
• 12,, 24 or 48 Volts
• Full charging voltage at
very low speed
• Operating range 40 – 120
RPM
• 1.5
1 5 KW potential output
• Non-cogging design
allows easy start-up
• Self cooling
• No brushes or slip rings
• In-house design
Generator Design:
Expertise and Experience Gained
• Unable to identify OEM source for low-speed
transmission-less design: “it can’t be done”.
• Design analysis of multiple generators and
mathematical performance modeling produced
initial successful design – 40 RPM cut-in.
cut in
• With field-verified results, we are now able to
easily
il produce
d
any size/configuration/speed
i / fi
i /
d
variation needed.
• That makes us a leader in the field.
AFPMG Design/Test Station
AFPMG Components
(L) Magnet Wheel (1 of 2), and (R) Stator
Electronics
• 20+ years Silicon Valley Electrical Engineering
microcontroller hardware/software design experience
• “The
“Th Limiter”
Li i ” allows
ll
user to set RPM limit
li i andd timei
out period for very high wind conditions (currently in
field use).
• “The Governor”: upgrade of “The Limiter” that will
use PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) to intelligently
control loads (designed - not yet implemented)
• MPPT: proprietary Maximum Power Point Tracking
algorithm will dynamically match loads to varying
wind conditions for optimal efficiency (designed –
not yyet implemented)
p
)
Blackhawk Electronics
Limiter PCB
Limiter Control Unit
Power Control Cabinet
Precision Test Loads
Blackhawk System
y
Wiring
g
Clockwise from top left: Grand View, ID; Wells Fargo Bldg, Boise;
Clarkston, WA; CAES Idaho Falls; Emmett
Proof-of-Concept:
Critical Design Targets Achieved
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
System is reliably self-starting
System is stable under varying wind conditions
System is quiet & aesthetically pleasing
S
System
hhas survived
i d 100
100+ MPH winds
i d
System is easy to manufacture & assemble
System is easy to transport and erect
System is reliably producing power
Design Variations:
The Rapid Deployment Concept
•
•
•
•
Configuration possible with VAWT/AR design
Folds up like an umbrella
Less than 5 minute deployment/furling
Can be combined with extensive emergency
bbattery
e y backup
b c up power
powe on
o a trailer
e
• Military and emergency potential usage
Blackhawk RD-10
R id Deployment
Rapid
D l
t Device
D i
Blackhawk RD
RD-10
10 and Trailer
Blackhawk RD-10
RD 10
Rapid Deployment Sequence
•Quiet operation…
•Endless aesthetic possibilities…
Status of Intellectual Property
p y
• U.S. Utility Patent application 12/7/06
• Patent pending Australia/New Zealand
• No
N prior
i artt found
f
d representing
ti tilt vs. AOA
control methods
• I.P. owned by The Blackhawk Project, LLC:
50% Bruce Boatner, 50% Pat Large
• U.S. Patent #7,677,862 issuance notification
3/2/10
Our current staff
• Bruce Boatner, EE: Inventor, Partner, Lead
Engineer
• Dawn Cardwell: Project Manager
• Pat
P tL
Large: Business
B i
Partner
P t
• Randy Peterson: Technician
Project Requirements
For Production
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Product engineering
Design engineering support
Manufacturing engineering
Materials analysis
M f t i logistics
Manufacturing
l i ti & capital
it l
Testing & Certification
Marketing strategy
Accounting & other overhead
Inter-Disciplinary Research Efforts at INL/CAES*
(* Idaho
Id h Nat’l
N t’l L
Laboratory,
b t
Center
C t for
f Advanced
Ad
d Energy
E
Studies)
St di )
BoatnerConsulting@earthlink.net (925) 695-5469