A worm-feeder wind rotor produces no aerodynamic noise, functions very smoothly without the vibration and fatigue effect caused by the cyclic operation of the blades, generates less electromagnetic interference and other adverse effects. It can be used not only in remote areas but also in cities, where it can supply electricity to homes and industrial premises.

The helical blades of the worm feeder are stiffening plates for the hub, which can therefore likewise be made of a thin sheet material, and the rotor will still be sufficiently strong and light. The new wind drivers can be mass-produced by an economical technology of continuous worm manufacture with six strips being folded into a single three-start worm. The continuous worm can also be made of plastic by the technology of extrusion molding. Since the rotor is the basis of the wind driver, the cost of a worm-feed driver is a mere one-third of the cost of wind drivers of conventional design.

Low-power worm-feed wind drivers of up to several tens of kilowatts can - thanks to their low cost, simplicity, environmental safety, and variety of configurations - be widely used to meet the most diverse needs. The simplest configuration is the single-rotor self-aligning driver with (Fig. 1) a worm rotor 500 mm in diameter. The rotation of the rotor is converted to the reciprocating motion of a tie-rod, which actuates a pump positioned below. The pump is intended to supply water to country homes and gardens. Self-aligning wind drivers can be configured with electric generators. They are highly efficient as suppliers of low power, up to several kW.

In the wind driver shown in Fig. 2, the rotor is fastened to the upper bracket-type support 4 and can change its angle of inclination to the horizon a under the influence of the wind v. The damping device 7 enables the worm-feed rotor to smoothly alter its angle of inclination. Once the wind attains a certain speed, the rotor becomes suspended in mid-air, as if weightless: the weight distributed along its length is balanced by the distributed aerodynamic force supporting it. When the bending loads on the rotor diminish, the number of its revolutions stabilizes. Its design therefore is not intended for hurricane winds, and the bracket-type rotor is consequently much lighter than a rotor with two supports.

Wind drivers whose helical blades are shaped as a right helicoid are positioned at an angle with respect to the wind. Therefore, when the wind changes direction, either their power characteristics change or the blades have to be made so that they can be realigned. The worm-feed wind rotor with funnel-shaped helical blades can operate in a vertical position. At a wind direction v, the load is absorbed by the concave sections of the blades to the left of the axis, and this produces a leftward torque. When the wind direction changes, the torque remains unchanged. The rotor can also be mounted horizontally, in which case it is connected at the bottom to the hinge 6 and then, by means of the guy ropes 7 and the additional pillar (jib), can be raised to a vertical position. In an inclined position, the worm-feed wind rotor with funnel-shaped blades can also be used in aligned configurations, and its efficiency will be greater than in the upright position.

Various configurations of wind drivers with worm-feed rotors are possible. In a three-rotor driver, the worm-feed rotors are mounted at an angle to the horizontal plane and, at the top, support one another through a common assembly. The rotors are assembled in the horizontal position on the ground and raised to their functional position by means of a built-in hoist. In a multi-rotor driver, one row of inclined rotors leans at the top on another row, and the rotation of the rotor is transmitted to a common shaft. Such a driver is intended for localities with a dominant wind direction. Its power can run to tens and even hundreds of kilowatts.

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