a Spanish startup raises a method known for decades
Milan , May 19, 2015 – 18:29
A wind turbine low-cost, low-maintenance and is easy to install . And without the blades. It is the challenge of the Spanish startup Vortex, which is testing the field his new bladeless turbine that uses the energy of the wind to produce electricity. The turbine is in the shape of an elongated cone (the top is larger, the base is smaller) and starts to oscillate violently under the appropriate wind conditions, and to produce electrical energy accordingly.
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Vortex, l? Bladeless wind
Swirls of wind
The form has been developed to computer to ensure the formation of vortices of the wind along the whole tree. When the frequency of rotation of the vortices coincides with the oscillation frequency of the structure, it reaches a peak in the absorption of wind energy by the structure itself. The machine then based its operation on the phenomenon of aerodynamic vorticity, one of the enemies of architects and engineers who design their handicrafts, as smokestacks and bridges, in order to avoid the formation of vortices of wind.
From enemy to ally
The reason is simple: if the wind is strong enough and the vortices have the right frequency, the vorticity can lead to an oscillatory motion in the facilities, even rigid ones, up to the possible cause collapse resonance. In the prototypes of Vortex currently in test phase, it has been used a composite of glass fiber and carbon fiber, which allows the shaft to vibrate as much as possible (increase in mass reduces the natural frequency of oscillation). At the base of the cone there are two rings of magnets repellents, which act as a sort of electric motor does not. When the cone oscillates in one direction, the magnets pull it in the opposite direction, to increase the movement regardless of the speed of the wind. The kinetic energy of the tree is converted into electricity through an alternator.
Low costs
The machine does not It requires gears, bolts or moving mechanical parts and all this means that the turbine has production costs equal to about half compared to traditional wind turbines and 80% less maintenance costs. There being no contact between moving parts, it is not necessary either the use of lubricants. Other advantages are security for the birds, since they are not installed blades in motion, and the extreme noise of the machine.
Capture 40% of the wind
Based on the data provided by the company, Vortex Mini (height of about 12 meters) is capable of capturing up to 40% of the power of the wind in ideal conditions, ie at a wind speed of about 11.6 meters per second (about 42 km per hour). It is estimated to Vortex Mini production by about a third less than traditional wind turbines of the same power, but the difference could be offset by the greater number of machines that can be installed (about double) in the same area. Also according to the information provided by the manufacturer, the cost per megawatt hour (MWh) produced is 40% lower than conventional wind power.
Marketing
The company already collected a million dollars in private capital and state funding in Spain and will launch a campaign from June 1 to crowfunding. The first product, a turbine 100 Watt power and 3 meters high, should be installed in developing countries by the end of the year. The turbine Vortex Mini 4 kW of power should be ready in 2016 and will target small businesses and the domestic sector. A larger model (Great Vortex 1 MW) is expected to enter the market in 2018.
A method is already known
“It is generating methods known for several decades,” says Lorenzo Battisti, professor at the University of Trento. “In the past there have been several attempts to develop wind turbines without blades, but unfortunately have not been particularly successful. They were based on systems or swing or devices in which the wind itself carried out a flow of electrical charges through the machine. A first difficulty that I see in this technology without blades regards the wind turbulence “, the expert continues. “It is one thing to do experiments in laboratory wind tunnel, it is one thing to do it in the open field, because the band of wind speed in which the machine produces energy is very limited and it is very complex to control the variability of the wind. It is true that we have made considerable progress in the electricity generation and with new types of electric generators can think of forms of converting almost static. But there remains a problem of low power density of wind energy and therefore the need of large machinery. ” According to Battisti, in fact, “increasing the size of the machines, however, you lose the advantage of low intrusiveness and limited occupation of territory. So I think it is essential to wait for the trial and see the concrete results that will be obtained. The commercial history makes us see what are the technologies that have the best cost-benefit tradeoff: if has established a certain type of machines is because at the moment is the one that provides the best performance. ”
May 19, 2015 | 18:29
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