{
  "patent_number": "US 20140030059",
  "country": "US",
  "title": "How a Wind Turbine Shroud Can Adjust Its Blades to Control Power",
  "original_title": "Fluid turbine with variable pitch shroud segments",
  "summary": "This patent describes a wind turbine design where a ring-shaped casing around the main rotor has small, adjustable blades that can change their angle to control how much wind hits the rotor and how much power is generated.",
  "what_it_does": "This patent describes a 'shrouded fluid turbine' that includes a main 'rotor' (the spinning blades) and a 'ringed airfoil' around it, which acts like a shroud or casing. This ringed airfoil is made up of many 'pivotable airfoil segments' (Claim 1), which are essentially small, adjustable blades. Each of these segments can 'rotate about an axis to change a pitch' (Claim 2), meaning their angle can be adjusted. A 'pitch control mechanism' (Claim 3) can change the angle of these segments, even 'continuously' during operation (Claim 4). By changing the angle of these shroud segments, the turbine can control the airflow to the main rotor, thereby managing its power output or reducing the impact of uneven wind, like 'wind shear' (Claim 19). For example, if the wind is too strong, the segments can be angled to reduce the airflow to the rotor, preventing over-speeding.",
  "what_it_does_not_cover": [
    "Does not cover wind turbines that do not have a shroud or casing around their rotor.",
    "Does not cover shrouded turbines where the shroud segments are fixed and cannot change their angle or 'pitch'.",
    "Does not cover controlling turbine power solely by adjusting the pitch of the main rotor blades.",
    "Does not cover systems where the entire ringed airfoil pivots as a single unit, rather than individual segments being adjustable.",
    "Does not cover turbines where the shroud's pitch is only set once and not altered during operation."
  ],
  "filed": "2013-09-30",
  "granted": null,
  "expires": "2033-09-30",
  "status": "active",
  "holder": "FloDesign Wind Turbine",
  "holder_url": "https://patentbrief.org/company/flodesign-wind-turbine",
  "inventors": [
    {
      "name": "Bo Lovmand",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/inventor/bo-lovmand"
    },
    {
      "name": "Søren Dalsgaard",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/inventor/sren-dalsgaard"
    },
    {
      "name": "Michael J. Werle",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/inventor/michael-j-werle"
    },
    {
      "name": "Søren Hjort",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/inventor/sren-hjort"
    },
    {
      "name": "Walter M. Presz, Jr.",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/inventor/walter-m-presz-jr"
    },
    {
      "name": "Rune Rubak",
      "url": "https://patentbrief.org/inventor/rune-rubak"
    }
  ],
  "times_cited": 10,
  "tags": [
    "energy",
    "mechanical",
    "aerospace",
    "software"
  ],
  "abstract": "One or more variable pitch airfoils in fluid communication with a rotor of a fluid turbine can control the amount of energy directed to the rotor, and further control the amount of energy generated by the turbine. Varying the pitch of the airfoils may provide a means of controlling the power output of a fluid turbine without the need to control the pitch of the rotor blades, and may further provide a means of mitigating the effects of wind shear on the rotor. Variable pitch airfoils may also include a means of controlling the active power, reactive power and SCADA, of a group of fluid turbines.",
  "url": "https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/20140030059/fluid-turbine-with-variable-pitch-shroud-segments",
  "markdown_url": "https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/20140030059/fluid-turbine-with-variable-pitch-shroud-segments/md",
  "google_patents_url": "https://patents.google.com/patent/US20140030059",
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}