Eco Factor: ATS’s new mast design increases wind output by 20%.
The simplest way to increase wind turbine output is to increase the diameter of the blades. However, the size of the blades cannot be increased infinitely because of the lack of space available for wind farms and other renewable energy generating systems. Turbine developer ATS has claimed to have solved the puzzle by not increasing the diameter of the blades, but increasing the height of the tower to catch more wind.
The new system is being tested near Cologne, Germany, which the company states boosts efficiency as high as 20%. The turbine with a hybrid tower has a hub height of 133 meters and along with the blades on top the turbine has an overall height of 180 meters. The turbine depends on the use of a hybrid tower design, with the lowermost section made from prefabricated concrete elements. The upper section is however made from conventional steel components.
Via: Treehugger
