In the photo: Kevlar sail Wind Dam on Lake Ladoga. In project.
The reserves of oil, coal and gas in the bowels of the earth are not endless. Therefore, today great attention is paid to the search for alternative renewable energy sources. One of the most readily available resources is wind
Engineers offer a large number of ideas: a wind turbine in a hot air balloon, and a giant kevlar sail, and artificial "groves" of polymer poles.
- What we see is not always serious. But many are indeed offering innovative technologies that will revolutionize our use of wind power, says Mark Moore, a wind power scientist at NASA. -For example, turbines raised high above the ground have great potential because the wind speed is much higher and more constant at the top. At an altitude of 80 to 500 m, it increases one and a half to two times, and at an altitude of 10,000 m, ten times.
Some unusual designs are presented to your attention.
A triangular kevlar sail with an area of about 1600 m2 with a large turbine in the center will soon be installed over Lake Ladoga. The size of the sail is approximately 25 m, the width and height of its anchorages are about 75 m. Wind Dam is the brainchild of the British architectural firm Chelwood Associates. Its shape is such that the wind that hits it is directed to a large turbine located in the center, supported by aluminum supports. This will allow the use of wind energy with maximum efficiency.
Energy spire (already in use)
The WindSpire is a 10 m high rotating vertical turbine. It is designed primarily for use in cities, as it takes up little space. One such device can generate approximately 2 thousand kWh per year, the noise level is very low. Price - 5 thousand US dollars. WindSpire can be used for both home and office use.
Magenn Power (MARS). (Tested)
Miniature and quiet. The 6-blade generator with a diameter of 1.1 m weighs about 30 kg and can be operated even in light winds. With rotating blades, the design resembles a ball mill. Ks.'- compact and delicate device v: - -but use in private houses.
Promotional video:
The balloon hunts for the wind (already in operation) The
wind turbine of the Canadian company Magenn Power is an inflatable turbine filled with helium. It produces electricity by rotating around its horizontal axis. Sustainability is achieved through the Magnus effect. The generated energy is transmitted through a cable down to earth, where a winch platform and a transformer station are installed. The company plans to produce "balloons" that will fly at an altitude of 200-300 m and capture wind energy at a speed of up to 90 m / s.
Flying Shelf (Trial)
Joby Energy has designed a kite that carries several small wind turbines, each with its own generator. The current is transmitted to the ground through the cable, which also holds the snake in place. At an altitude of about 400 m, under the influence of air masses, Joby moves non-stop in a circle. The wind at this height is usually one and a half to three times stronger than on the ground, and blows at a constant strength.
Power plant as design element (under test)
The twin buildings of the World Trade Center in Bahrain, 240 m high, were connected by three turbines, each weighing 65 tons. This is the first project to integrate wind turbines into a building. The diameter of the rotors is 29 m. The turbines cover 11-15% (depending on the wind strength) of the energy needs of skyscrapers. They generate 1100-1300 MWh per year.
Amphibious turbine (in testing)
Marine version of Selsam's superturbine: a flexible carbon rod attached to an anchor on the seabed. The rod has many small blades that rotate it. This is not the first such development by American Douglas Selsam.
EdgeFlow - EdgeFlow (Tested) The
Danish version - EdgeFlow - involves installing a turbine on the roofs of buildings and using the updrafts generated when the wind hits the wall of the house and rushes upward. The 36-meter wind turbine will cover about a third of the average electricity consumed by an industrial building.
NOVA is designed for harsh conditions (At the stage of project) The
British project Novel Offshore Vertical Axis (offshore vertical-axis wind turbine), or NOVA, provides for the creation of an offshore wind turbine with an emphasis on aerodynamics. The 120-meter V-shaped structure will generate electricity at sea, rotating on its axis in strong winds. The design capacity is 1 GWh per year.
Energy Bridges (on the drawing board)
Solar Wind is an attempt to integrate wind turbines into existing structures. Italian architects are planning to place wind turbines between viaduct piers, for example in southern Italy. According to calculations, such a bridge will be able to produce about 40 thousand MWh of electricity per year. According to the idea of the inventors, if such a bridge is equipped with solar cells, they will make it possible to obtain another 11 thousand MWh.
A hybrid of a kite and a helicopter (under test)
The concept of the American company Sky WindPower resembles a helicopter. It is equipped with four large propellers that raise the turbine to the desired height. The wind spins the blades, and with them the generator, which generates electricity. The author of the idea is Australian Brian Roberts.
It is assumed that the device will be controlled from the ground using robust cables suitable for use at altitudes up to 10 km. The developers believe that one such installation will be able to produce at least 10 MWh of energy per year. The first prototypes have already been tested.
Electric Forest (under construction)
This unusual grove near Masdar, UAE is unlikely to be marked in green on maps. 55-meter flexible polymer "trees" are covered like scales with piezoelectric plates, and cables connected to the "scales" run inside. Under the onslaught of the wind, the trunks bend, the piezo-elements are compressed and generate current, supplying it to the generator in the concrete base of the “trunks”, the diameter of which narrows from 30 cm at the bottom to 5 cm at the top.