A ducted wind turbine and semi-submersible support platform

摘要

A ducted wind turbine 12 has a turbine rotor assembly which includes a plurality of rotor blades surrounded at least partially by a duct assembly or cowl 16. The duct inlet 22 and outlet 24 may be parallel but offset, or may be arranged at a redirect angle. Two sets of contra-rotating blades (32,34, fig.5) may be mounted on respective towers (36,38). A diffuser wing (27, fig.4A) carrying photovoltaic cells may be provided above the duct outlet 24.The wind turbine may be mounted on a semi-submersible support platform 14 by way of a rotating table arrangement 86 such that wind force on an empennage 18 and a stabiliser 20 forces the duct assembly 16 to weathervane in response to changes in wind direction. Orientation of the cowl 16 relative to the wind direction may instead be actively controlled, eg using LIDAR. The platform 14 may have a delta-wing shaped support deck 56 having struts 62 attached to flotation hulls 64. Wave energy may be captured using a torsionally resistant bearing (80, fig.10). The semi-submersible support platform, wave energy capture apparatus, torsional resistance bearing mechanism and a latticework wind turbine tower are also claimed.