Wind turbine electric generator

Claim 1

A wind-operated electric generator system comprising in combination, a stationary Venturi unit having a vertical axis and a circular assembly of similar segmental wind-inlet passages extending around said axis and having substantially vertical inlet openings outermost from said axis, said segmental inlet passages being defined by similar substantially vertical and radially extending walls comprising the sides of said segmental passages and said inlet openings also each having similar top and bottom walls curved inwardly toward said axis and upwardly and said bottom walls sloping upwardly to a greater extent than said top walls and converging at the upper ends thereof toward the upper and inner portions of said top wall to provide with the upper portions of said top walls constricted upwardly directed exit passages for wind merging into a single upwardly directed discharge opening comprising a Venturi discharge throat, whereby the converging of said walls toward the axis of the unit provides additional compression of incoming wind and thereby further enhances the increasing of inlet air speed generated by the converging top and bottom walls of said inlet passages, a radial bladed impeller mounted within said Venturi throat and supported by a shaft coincident with the axis of said Venturi throat, bearing means for said shaft, an electric generator supported relative to said shaft and connected thereto for operation thereby when driven by wind passing through said throat and the blades of said impeller to drive the same, whereby wind blowing from any direction will enter at least one of said inlet openings and be directed upwardly by the passage thereof while the speed thereof is increased by said Venturi effect produced by both lateral and vertical compression of the incoming gas.