Advanced and innovative wind-wheel turbine

An investigation was made to determine the response characteristics of an advanced and innovative wind-wheel turbine (wwT). This WWT was conceived by Mr. John W. Kaufman of the Marshall Space Flight Center, Alabama 35812 in April 1976. The basic apparatus is the subject of patent application NASA No. 880726 filed on February 24, 1978, pending before the U.S. Patent Board.

Two scale models of the WwT were fabricated and tested in the Space Sciences Laboratory at NASA-MSFC where this investigator is employed. A jet of air, in which the flow rate was varied and closely monitored, was directed toward each model in separate tests to acquire wheel speed and acceleration data. Hand held anemometers, a precision stop watch, an electronic counter, and other devices were used to determine jet air flow speeds and wheel revolution with time values.

Preliminary tests of these two models demonstrate the feasibility, practicality, favorable response, and potential benefits of using this WWT as a wind energy conversion system (wEcs). Performance data show that the system is a high torque but low blade tip speed to wind speed device. In that the theoretical and empirical finds were quite favorable, plans are to build a precision and properly scaled model for wind tunnel and environmental testing.