Innovative Wind Turbine Needs No Propellers
It makes use of the biggest enemy of engineers and architects, the vorticity
A Spanish company called Bladeless Vortex proposes a new way to generate wind energy different from conventional. it is about the vortex, a wind turbine without blades (or propellers) similar to a "giant straw" that came, according to its creators, to change the world of renewable energy.
The idea came after David Suriol followed a video of Tacoma Narrows Bridge oscillating with the force of the wind.
The appearance can be deceiving, but even without the propellers the Vortex can transform air breezes into energy, but in a different way. Instead of using the circular movement that the blades make, the new turbine uses the so-called vorticity, an aerodynamic effect that produces the pattern of rotating vortices. Vorticity has been considered the biggest enemy of architects and engineers, who try their best to work around these eddies of wind in certain types of buildings. However, the founders of Bladeless Vortex, David Suriol, David Yáñez, and Raul Martín saw this as an opportunity.
The format of the vortex was developed to ensure that the rotating winds run, in sync, throughout the expansion of the mast, in order to obtain a good performance.
Its current prototype is made of fiberglass and carbon fiber, which allows it to vibrate as much as possible. At the base of the cone, two repellent magnets were placed, which act like a non-electric motor. When the cone swings to one side, the magnets pull it in another direction, like a small impulse in its movement without having to rely on the speed of the wind. This kinetic energy is then converted to electricity by an alternator that multiplies the frequency of the mast swing to improve the efficiency of obtaining energy.
The creators pride themselves on the fact that the turbine does not need gears, screws or mechanical parts, as this lowers the cost of producing and maintaining the turbine. According to them, the 12 meter mini version can capture 40% of the wind energy in ideal conditions (41 km/h). Based on field tests, the mini captures 30% less than traditional wind turbines, but is offset by its size, meaning you can put twice as many turbines. vortex mini in the same place as a traditional turbine. According to the company, the turbine would cost 51% less than traditional turbines, whose higher costs come from blades and support systems.
The new model is also quieter and safer for birds. With traditional turbines, thousands of animals end up dying annually around the world.
The company has already raised $1 million in private equity and government funding. The technology still has a long way to go to be able to reach the consumer. According to Wired, Suriol says there's nothing wrong with traditional turbines, he even says they're great machines, but they're just proposing a new and different way to get wind power.
