New Intelligent Wind Turbines "See" the Wind
New wind turbine technology out of Denmark can “see” the wind before it arrives and aim itself accordingly.
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The wind turbine technology, called wind LIDAR and designed by Risø DTU researchers, has a laser-based anemometer built into the spinner. With this upgrade, a wind turbine can identify when gusts of wind are coming and can also predict the direction of the wind.
As a result, energy production can be maximized and wind turbines can live longer. Reminds me of that old saying, “work smart, not hard.” Of course, has to make you think of Avatar as well (if you’ve seen it).
Lars Fuglsang, Global Research Director of LM Glasfiber, says, “The LIDAR system can be used to increase blade reliability by making the blades cope better with the irregularities of the wind. Subsequently it is possible to produce larger blades. This increases energy production, and power from wind energy becomes more competitive.”
With wind energy being perhaps the fastest-growing type of energy in the US, this is a hopeful new development.
via physorg & treehugger
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3) How to Calculate Cost Per Kilowatt-hour of a Small Wind Power Install
4) Mass Megawatts Could Bring More Efficient Wind Power to Ski Resorts
Image Credit: Morten Mitchell Larød via flickr under a CC license
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