What’s happening right now
A father and daughter team, Alfred Mathieu and Sharolyn Vettese, has designed a special high-efficiency, noise-free and compact wind turbine known as the Windancer for a Canadian company called Wind Simplicity. The design has won an award for Design for Recycling from the Institute of Scrap Recycling Industries.
According to the company, other wind turbines are not so green because their blades are made of composite fibers such as fiber glass. When the turbines reach the end of their life, these blades mostly end up in landfills. Apart from that, there are other concerns while making the composite rotor blades.
The biggest advantage of the Windancer is that its blades are made of aluminum that can be easily recycled. So even if the Windancer comes to the end of its life, the blades can be reused. The creator of the design, ISRI, urges people to look for green options while designing various products.
Trends
1. Virtually noise-free eco whisper turbine
Renewable Energy Solutions, Brisbane, Australia, recently came out with its first installation of the world’s quietest wind turbine. The Eco Whisper Turbine can produce about 20kW of power with its small size and ability of the blades to adjust according to the wind’s direction and utilize it to the maximum. This design can produce about 30 percent more energy when compared to other turbines. The turbine is about 21.1 meters tall and 6.5 meters wide blade diameter. The blades are located on a pole that can be easily lowered for maintenance procedures. The company believes that it can meet the power requirements of rural and urban applications like business parks, airports, universities and commercial sites.
2. WindTamer’s ‘Three Wind’ system
These are affordable wind turbines that can be used for both commercial and residential purposes. The design has been developed by WindTamer Corporation. The latest design comes in an attractive ‘wind flower’ housing that enables the turbine to harness the wind power. It can harness the power from winds at a speed of 70 mph without disturbing the surroundings. The system is mounted on a pole that is 30 feet long. It is vibration and noise free. It can also be mounted on a roof. It has no gearbox and hence eliminates the risk of fires.
3. Solar Aero’s bladeless wind turbine
This bladeless turbine can produce about 10 kW power. It has been awarded recently with a patent for windless turbines. It is claimed that this design is safe for wildlife and has various other advantages as well. It produces energy without making noise. The whole system is contained inside a housing that adjusts according to the wind. The company believes that it will be able to produce power in a cost effective manner.
The concept
Wind farms are known for their nuisance caused by sound. Various studies have been conducted on how the noise levels affect humans. A noise level of LAeq 32 bD near any home and above the hearing threshold inside the home have been identified as markers that cause serious health effects. In order to combat with such problems, most of the wind turbines developed recently use noise free and green technology.
Based on the concept, FloDesign is developing an axial-flow and shrouded wind turbine can produce more energy when compared to the existing horizontal wind turbines. The design is inspired by a jet engine. It is cheaper to produce and has a wide range of applications.
Similarly, the Windancer from Wind Simplicity has been granted a U.S. patent for its innovative rotor blade that makes it highly efficient, noise free and compact. It is the world’s greenest turbine that can produce power without polluting the environment.
The advantages
There are several advantages of the horizontal axis wind turbines.
1. The blades are designed and positioned in such a way that they promote stability of the system.
2. They have the ability to wing wrap that enable the blades to perform in the best angle.
3. The turbine also has the ability to pitch the rotor blades during a storm to reduce damage.
4. The tall tower enables access to strong winds in places with wind shear and also allows the placement on offshore locations and uneven land.
5. The turbine can be seen above the tree-line in forest areas.
6. Most of these are usually self-starting.
Since wind energy is free to use, you need not spend extra money on it. Wind is everywhere and renewable. So there is no fear of depletion too. Wind energy can be used safely without polluting the environment. The wind turbines require only small areas for installation. When the turbines are installed in leads to a number of jobs too. More research is being conducted to make the production of energy more efficient and cost-effective.
The impact
Wind turbines that are half the size of the conventional types are being produced to generate electricity. The turbine developed by FloDesign is able to produce electricity for half the cost of that produced by the traditional turbines. The design is inspired by a jet engine. It has to be seen whether these turbines can be maintained at a lower cost. The Windancer is another patented wind turbine that is highly efficient, compact, green and noise-free. Most of the new designs are manufactured in such a way that they are able to address the problems found in the traditional turbines.
