Vertical-Axis Wind Turbines: The Future of Micro Wind? [w/video]
Walking the floor of WINDPOWER 2008, the annual conference and trade show for the wind energy industry, one couldn’t help but be transfixed by all of the different types of turbines - at least I couldn’t. The wind turbine has become the iconic of clean, renewable energy. But the classic three-bladed horizontal axis wind turbine, with its gracefully swooping blades, has become the symbol of not only renewable energy, but also of environmental consciousness and ecological possibility.
Despite the ubiquity of the three-bladed turbine, the oft-overlooked vertical-axes turbines are making quite a splash in the world of wind energy, especially in small and micro-applications. So what’s all the fuss about? Vertical-axis turbines apparently do not suffer from some of the same problems that plague small wind applications in urban settings including, aesthetic concerns, space requirements and sound levels
Other advantages of vertical-axis turbines:
- Can produce up to 50% more electricity per year than conventional turbines with the same swept area;
- Generate electricity at much lower wind speeds, as low as 4 mph (1.5 m/s)Will continue to generate power in high wind speeds, up to 130 mph (60m/s) depending on the mode;
- Direct-drive units with no gearbox means a more efficient transfer of energy and no leaking oil;
- Will not harm wildlife, in terms of bird and bat strikes.
Below, I’ll cover some more basic differences and show you a few photos and short videos of some of these turbines I saw down in Houston at WINDPOWER 2008.
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The designers from Taiwanese start-up A.N.I.T.A. Energy (pictured above) showed me why their models have a low start-up wind speed, and that is because of the light metal bands you can see surrounding the turbine itself. Apparently this design allows users with a less substantial wind resource (particularly those in urban applications), squeeze some electricity from the local winds. The larger model pictured above (and in the second video below) is scalable and can be stacked as many as three-high and integrated with the rooftops of large buildings.
Unlike three-bladed designs, vertical-axis turbines do not need to “right themselves” into the wind, they are always in a fixed position in terms of their orientation. A few of the models I saw, most notably the designs from the Korea-based KR Windpower, (video above) had a manifold-type device that would swing around and funnel more wind into the turbine from the direction the wind was strongest. Continued…
The Butler VAWT design has been subject to patents applications going back some 100 years or so. Incl mine (rejected in 1992).
There is so much potential to farms of these over the classic horizontal design. These and solar are the wave of the future.
Click through http://muthaofinvention.blogspot.com/2008/04/my-windmill.html and to see more videos of the butler design.
[...] June 22, 2008, 1:46 am Filed under: Life | Tags: CleanTechnica, go green Check this article out: Vertical-Axis Wind Turbines from [...]
[...] Vertical-Axis Wind Turbines: The Future of Micro Wind? with video Walking the floor of WINDPOWER 2008, the annual conference and trade show for the wind energy industry, one couldn
how about the life of the battery which use to store the electricity generated by these wind turbine or solar panel? when the battery expired, it post an environment problem as I guess it is not recyclable and the lifespan of the battery last only 5 years.
I recently covered this event for my Green energy news portal / blog.
Go here
http://mattgoesgreen.com/category/windpower-2008-conference-and-exhibition/
Lots of phtotos of the show including many many differenet turbines as wells as some video interviews etc.
-Enjoy
-Matt
the only think is that from what i have read vertical-axis turbines do not do well in places that ice could build up on the blades
Darius and airfoil-type VAWT’s have similar efficiency numbers as the more traditional horizontal axis wind tubrines, however they have a major drawback of NOT being self-starting. If you just place a stationary turbine in the wind, it will not start on it own, you need to get it moving to some threshold RPM after which it begin to generate power on its own. Having a starting mechanism adds to the expense and complexity.
Great article on wind energy! I like the stats you mention on vertical axis turbines and there efficiencies over more conventional wind turbines.
I have also been blogging about vertical axis wind turbines on a residential scale over at http://www.residential-wind-power.com/category/vertical-axis-wind-turbine/
The turbines in the top picture are a combination of two different rotors. The Savonius rotors in the center of the turbine are self starting and work in lower windspeeds, but are not efficient in higher winds. The eggbeater shaped bands around them are a Darrieus rotor, which needs a push to get started, but is very efficient in higher windspeeds. Combining the two has been done before, although perhaps not in a mass produced product.
Florida’s Showcase Green Envirohome is very interested in this technology as part of its overall mission of promoting clean tech and innovation.
Learn more about the project at
http://www.FSGE.net