Wind Power Designs

From LoveToKnow GreenLiving

When it comes to wind power design, the sky is the limit in terms of revolutionary and innovative design shapes. As interest in wind power and wind farming continue to grow, people are looking for not only workable designs, but those that are aesthetically pleasing as well.

wind turbines in poppy field

Traditional Wind Power Design

The traditional design for wind power depends on wind turbines. The design people are most familiar with today stands out as a futuristic windmill, usually placed in a one or more fields in an agricultural setting. Known as Horizontal-Axis Wind Turbines (HAWT), they make up the majority of wind design known today.

The HAWT’s have a mounted generator in a nacelle, a covered, protective housing. These mount on a tower directly behind the turbine’s rotor. The HAWT may have anywhere from three to seven blades, although typically, they are seen with two to three blades. Designed to move at different speeds according to the design of their generator, the blades are generally made of fiberglass. The movement called tip speed ratio is the ratio between the speed of the wind and the speed of the tips of the blade.

The tower, which the HAWT stands on, is built to a height two to three times the length of the blades. This is to account for factors such as wind shear and torque on the tower itself.

Wind Power Design – The Times They Are A Changing

Wind power is taking a design turn and those designs include turbines that move horizontally, vertically, and almost appear suspended in air. What grew out of the clumsy old windmill design of sails made of canvas attached to the blades is beginning to take on a grace in form that surpasses pure functionality.

In addition to wind power turbines, there exist magnetically levitated wind turbines, floating wind turbines, and airborne wind turbines. Wind power designs are experiencing a great period of growth and interest in today’s economic and environmentally aware climate.

The Airborne Wind Design – Tethered Like a Kite

The airborne wind design means that the turbine is supported in the air without the high tower. The tether itself would be conductive of energy. If the generator were left on the ground, the tether would not even have to do that. It is an idea that is still being worked on; problems such as weather (like thunderstorms) and weight of design are factors that keep this idea in some places in the experimental phase. The M.A.R.S. (Magenn Power Air Rotor System) is an airborne wind design where electricity is made and ready for use the moment it goes down the tether line. It should go into production soon.

The MagLev

Known as a magnetically levitated wind turbine, the MagLev can make enough power to light over 750,000 homes My Wind Power System.com. The MagLev has a turbine that rests on air, which functions as a cushion. Energy goes to linear (vertical) generators. Less energy is wasted, less land needed to house this particular design, and maintenance costs are low.

Other Designs – Go High Tech and High Glam

For pure design inspiration on wind power design for the future, go back to My Wind Power System.com. Get a look at the helical structured wind turbine and Phillipe Starck’s home windmill.

The Loopwing is a fascinating design and comes to the world via Japan. There is a vertical axis helical design that is much more attractive and perfect for residential areas.

The V-Lim is a rooftop wind turbine. It is designed by Rogue River Wind and Portland State University Measeeh College of Engineering and Computer Science. It is fastened to a rooftop and has virtually no vibration.

The Sky Serpent is a group of small rotors that individually catches the flow of the air and wind.

The Jellyfish Wind Appliance is a micro-design. It costs approximately $400 and can deliver forty-kilowatt hours per month. The Jellyfish makes owning one’s own wind power design practical and affordable.

Wind power design is taking off, literally, in new directions. The new designs are a sign of the best creative minds at work to improve on and make available this energy source that is available across the world. Will all the designs succeed?

As for that – the answer is blowing in the wind.

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