Portable 50kW Wind Turbine Unveiled (Video)
Uprise Energy has developed a wind turbine that is portable and easier to maintain in numerous ways. It is called the Uprise Portable Power Center. By portable, the company means that it can actually be moved without digging it out of the ground and completely pulling it apart, but it’s still quite a beast.
Normally, wind turbines have to be assembled from many parts and then mounted with their bases in the ground or on a sturdy surface. In order to move them, they are either demolished due to their almost permanent installations (for large-scale turbines), or they have to be dug out of the ground, or unbolted from their surfaces.
What makes this new turbine stand out is the fact that it can literally fold itself back into a container the size of a standard 40′ ISO shipping container and be driven to its destination with a tow truck.
When it reaches its destination, contractors can put the blades on at ground level, and then it erects itself.
The electricity generation capacity (often called nameplate capacity) of the turbine is 50 kW, or 50,000 watts. The manufacturer claims that it is efficient and can generate electricity at a lower cost than American utility companies normally charge for it (the nationwide average is 11 cents per kWh).
The Uprise Portable Power is optimized for operation in environments with low, steady, or gusty winds. It rotates 360° to face the wind in order to maximize performance, and it also adjusts the blade speed and pitch (this involves adjusting the blades’ position while they are on the hub).
When the wind speed is high enough to damage it, the portable plant actually lays the turbine down, unlike other turbines which activate their brakes to prevent the turbines from turning too fast, because it isn’t drag that breaks them, but inertia.
This turbine can actually be maintained on the ground so that service technicians do not have to go on top of the turbine 40 feet above the ground. This might reduce the labour cost.
The turbine also includes power storage of some kind. “Excess power is stored and power delivery is stabilized,” the company writes. “When wind power exceeds demand, energy is stored. When wind energy is low, the Uprise machine draws on the stored power.”
It is refreshing to see unique designs, especially when they are so innovative. Whether or not they are viable, it is possible to learn from unique/new designs sometimes. You can get some good ideas from a bad design!
It’s not clear at this point if this turbine will be competitive or not. What are your thoughts?
Source: Uprise Energy Website
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This could be a good thing for events that need portable power systems
So thinking the market they are looking at first is things like forward military bases, disaster relief. So it is wait and see. I wonder if they really can be put up by one person.
It looks like all the tech has to do is mount the blades. Sure beats transporting diesel or gasoline to remote or disaster areas.
A diesel generator might be smaller than the Hummer’s engine in the video, and also puts out 50kW. This thing needs a battery or flywheel bank built in.
If you’re only going to supply power for a few hours then moving in a gen and fuel might be the smallest load.
If you’re going to need power for a much longer time then moving in a turbine and batteries could be a smaller jobs than keeping the fuel flowing.
The military is going to solar and batteries because it can cost them $300/gallon and lives to transport fuel to the front. A portable turbine could be an additional option for them.
Matthew, those are clearly two of the bigger markets we’ve identified. The advanced composite blades are 21′ in length and weigh approx 80lbs, so having an extra set of hands would clearly be helpful but not entirely necessary for setup. -Jonathan, Uprise Energy
That’s ten pounds less than what a bag of cement weighs. And blades would be easier to get your hands around.
Include a little set of snap-on wheels and moving a blade would be a piece of cake.
Ever try to pick up a 2×8 ft piece of plywood on a windy day. Except for attaching the blades it looks similar to setting up those tall event lights that are trucked in.
Now I’m just nit picking because that is what my training say to do when you see a new design. Since placing a 80lb 21ft blade into the mount point, when there is likely wind is much easier with two people. And the box is looks closer to 30-40 ft. I’m wondering why if you looked at saying two man teams and using a 30ft blade ~120lbs. Yes would need at taller stronger tower, but would get you into much better air about double the area 2826/1385. Of course everything gets bigger then and maybe to much weight for shipping crate. Just wondering
was going to say that’s what i’d think, then just saw that the company responded. 😀
There’s not much wind at only 40 feet above the ground…they had better pick their parking places carefully.
Hi Dan, the actual height is 80′ above ground. The blades are 21′ each. -Jonathan, Uprise Energy
Thanks for the article, Nicholas / Clean Technica! -Jonathan, Uprise Energy
how innovative your idea, again the issue is cost…just make sure the harvested power by your wind machine can payback the money you spent to built this innovative transformers….then people will respect your idea….
Trying to view your video and it will not start. Is the link still active?
hmm, it’s playing for me. can take a second to load, though.