Prototype Vortex Wind Turbines Don’t Have Any Blades
Wind turbines have helped us tap into the infinite renewable energy source for ages. From old time wind mills to the gigantic wind turbines that power entire cities, the structure of a wind turbine has remained the same. Two or more blades capture the breeze and spin and the spin generates kinetic energy that is converted into electrical energy. Well now, if a Spanish energy start-up has it their way, wind turbines as we know them will cease to exist. The company called Vortex Bladeless has developed a prototype wind turbine that does not have any blades. Yes, it’s just a giant rolled up joint made out of fibre glass and carbon fibre that shoots out into the sky. The obvious question now is how does the wind turbine generate electricity? We shall explain it in the following paragraphs.
Before you know how Vortex Bladeless Wind Turbines work, you have to understand the phenomenon of Vorticity. Vorticity is an aerodynamic effect that produces a pattern of spinning vortices around building. While architects consider vortices a bane, the Spanish firm considers them a boon. They first built the mast of the Vortex Bladeless using a computational model that makes sure vortices occur synchronously along the mast. At the base of the cone like structure that you see in the above image, the team fitted two rings of repelling magnets to act as a motor. When the wind forces the cone to move the in one way, the magnets repel it in another direction. This movement gets converted into kinetic energy that gets in turn gets converted into converted into electricity via an alternator that multiplies the frequency of the mast’s oscillation to improve the energy-gathering efficiency.
So why did the company set about “changing the wheel†at the first place? They say that since Vortex Bladeless does not have any gears, bolts or mechanical parts they require very less to no maintenance. These wind turbines are of course quieter, cheaper and safer than conventional ones. The team also admits to <a href="https://www.wired.com/2015/05/future-wind-turbines-no-blades/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">The Future of Wind Turbines? No Blades | WIRED</a> about a big pitfall of Vortex Bladeless. These turbines produce 30 percent less power than common wind turbines. You might now asking isn’t that a waste of effort knowing that your innovation is less efficient? The firm argues that considering the shape and inexpensive nature of their turbines you can fit more of them in a single area at the same cost.
So what do you think about these new wind turbines? Post your opinions in the comment section after going through the #-Link-Snipped-# and their video demonstration below.
Before you know how Vortex Bladeless Wind Turbines work, you have to understand the phenomenon of Vorticity. Vorticity is an aerodynamic effect that produces a pattern of spinning vortices around building. While architects consider vortices a bane, the Spanish firm considers them a boon. They first built the mast of the Vortex Bladeless using a computational model that makes sure vortices occur synchronously along the mast. At the base of the cone like structure that you see in the above image, the team fitted two rings of repelling magnets to act as a motor. When the wind forces the cone to move the in one way, the magnets repel it in another direction. This movement gets converted into kinetic energy that gets in turn gets converted into converted into electricity via an alternator that multiplies the frequency of the mast’s oscillation to improve the energy-gathering efficiency.
So why did the company set about “changing the wheel†at the first place? They say that since Vortex Bladeless does not have any gears, bolts or mechanical parts they require very less to no maintenance. These wind turbines are of course quieter, cheaper and safer than conventional ones. The team also admits to <a href="https://www.wired.com/2015/05/future-wind-turbines-no-blades/" target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer">The Future of Wind Turbines? No Blades | WIRED</a> about a big pitfall of Vortex Bladeless. These turbines produce 30 percent less power than common wind turbines. You might now asking isn’t that a waste of effort knowing that your innovation is less efficient? The firm argues that considering the shape and inexpensive nature of their turbines you can fit more of them in a single area at the same cost.
So what do you think about these new wind turbines? Post your opinions in the comment section after going through the #-Link-Snipped-# and their video demonstration below.
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