We may have known about wind turbines (those plane-like blades wind that rotates when there’s wind and produces electricity using the aerodynamic force generated from the rotor blades.
Well, this article shifts a little from the usual wind turbine. It focuses on the ‘bladeless wind turbine”. Yes, turbines that does not require blades around a rotor to make energy.
These bladeless wind turbines are newly designed, was invented and developed by a six-person team led by David Yáñez.
He calls it “Vortex Bladeless”. This turbine can harness energy from winds without the constant turn of the blades usually associated with wind turbines.
Features of Bladeless Wind Turbine (Vortex)
This bladeless turbine has a number of distinct features, that stands it out. They include:
- It has an identifiable height of about 3 metres high.
- It has a curve-topped cylinder that works with a vertically fixed elastic rod.
- After installation, to the untrained eye of onlookers, it may appear to be moving back and forth but in the real sense, it is designed to sway within the wind range and thereby generate electricity from the vibration.
- The bladeless wind turbine asides the absence of blades, also does not have or need gears or shafts to function.
- Also, most people think it imitates the shape of a sex toy and has been nicknamed a ““skybrator” owing to its height.
This rather unmistakable yet intriguing phallic design of the turbine have attracted more than 94,000 ratings and 3,500 comments on the vortex website and about 20,000 positive ratings from Reddit users.
Moving on, what are the differences between this new technology and the conventional turbine.
Differences and Similarities between both Wind Turbines
When accessed side-by-side with a traditional wind turbine, the new technology has a couple of similarities and differences:
Their Similarities
- Both have the same building materials
- Both have same grid compatibility
- Both work through operating conditions
- Both have similar energy conversion method
Their Differences
- Different physical design and appearance
- Silent operation (Bladeless)
- Bird friendly (Bladeless)
- One requires lesser maintenance (Bladeless)
- Safer and easier
Advantages of the Bladeless Model
The innovative design inarguably adopts a simple concept, allows for easy manufacturing, installation and operation.
The fixed base and cylindrical mast linked firmly by a carbon rod oscillates freely, perpendicular to the wind direction.
While it inner components do not collide with each other but interact closely enough to convert kinetic energy of the wind into electricity.
But the major benefit of the technology is in environmental protection, reduction of visual impact, the cost of operating and maintaining the turbine.”
Environmental Impact of Bladeless Wind Turbine
According to environmentalists ‘Skybrators’ generate clean energy and bears no environmental impact on large windfarms.
But may cause great impact on urban and residential areas where the windfarm space to build one would be too small.
The bladeless wind turbine use similar same trend for installing small-scale, on-site energy generation, and has helped homes and companies across the country save on their energy bills, and could very much work hand-in-hand with home solar paneling.
Since, solar panels produce electricity during the day while wind speeds tend to be higher at night.
The turbine poses no danger to bird as they migrate, or wildlife, especially if used in urban settings.
Though, for residences in close proximity, the turbine would create noise at a frequency likely undetectable to humans.
So far agreed by the manufacturers, bladeless wind turbines can be mounted anywhere, but the optimal location will be next to a highway, where they can be fitted on to existing infrastructure.
The Future of Wind Turbines
While, we are still getting acquainted with the recent innovation. Several other energy power companies are doggedly working round the clock to create more flexible and safe source of power for today’s world.
One of this type of technologies capture, a 2 metre turbine, made from recycled plastic, designed to fit on to existing streetlights and generate electricity as passing cars displace the air.
Independent research has found that each turbine installed along a motorway is capable of generating electricity akin to 20 sq metres of solar panels, which is adequate electricity to keep streetlights on and power the local energy grid too.
Also, in the quest of tech advancement, one of the most ambitious divergence from the standard wind turbine is the mission by German startup SkySails, that hope to use an airborne design to harness wind power directly from the sky.
SkySails is one of few companies that make large fully automated kites designed to fly at an altitude of 400 metres.
According to Stephan Wrage, “the impact on people and the environment by the airborne systems and is minimal and practically no visible effect on the landscape.”
Today, the design can generate a maximum capacity of 100 to 200 kilowatts, but with newly formed partnership it could potentially increase the output from kilowatts to megawatts.