- Title: RENEWABLES-WIND/BLADELESS Whirlpool windmill produces power without blades
- Date: 11th June 2015
- Summary: AVILA, SPAIN (RECENT) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF DAVID YANEZ, VORTEX BLADELESS CO-FOUNDER, AND COLLEAGUE ARTURO HILDALGO DRIVING PAST FORTRESS WALLS OF AVILA TRANSPORTING BLADELESS TURBINE ON ROOF OF CAR YANEZ AND HIDALGO TRANSPORTING BLADELESS TURBINE IN THE COUNTRYSIDE CAR ARRIVING AT BLADELESS WIND TURBINE TEST SITE MAST AND BASE OF THE WIND TURBINE ON TOP OF CAR VARIOUS OF Y
- Embargoed: 26th June 2015 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Usa
- Country: USA
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVA6IYEM3DLYG5W49AENQ1ZR6PPS
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: EDITORS PLEASE NOTE: THIS EDIT CONTAINS MATERIAL WHICH WAS ORIGINALLY 4:3
Compact wind turbines in the shape of inverted cones could replace the revolving blades of conventional models on the hillsides of Spain and beyond.
The company behind the bladeless windmills is Vortex Bladeless. Co-founder of the five-year-old start-up, David Yanez, says it is able to generate power with a single circular blade wobbling in the wind.
The patented design works by spinning air whirlpools - vortices - in the inverted cones to create patterns of oscillation that are converted into electrical power by a generator.
"What we have is a mast, which is the top piece, and acts as a blade, it's constructed from the same material as a conventional generator, and what it does is oscillate transmitting its oscillation to a conventional alternator which by its own oscillation converts the wind's energy into electric energy," Yanez told Reuters.
The hollow cone structure is made from fibreglass and carbon fibre. The long shape allows it to be 'wobbled' by wind. The vibrations are transferred to the base of the cone where two rings with repelling magnets act as a motor. That kinetic energy is converted into electricity by an alternator at the base of the structure.
The phenomenon works in the same way that high-tension electrical wires 'sing' in the wind.
"We have all seen how a soprano who sings to glass, by matching the tone of the voice to the cup, is capable of breaking it. This type of resonance is a great way to transmit energy. What we do is, instead of using sound waves, is use the swirls, the vortices that are generated by a structure with wind," Yanez explained.
The challenge was to ensure the equipment would respond to different wind speeds, one that Vortex's designers resolved using the permanent magnets at the base of cone which allow the movement to vary according to windspeed.
Yanez said the beauty of the Vortex Bladeless wind turbine is that as a result of having fewer parts, it is cheaper to produce than a conventional turbine and it is also cheaper to maintain because it has no gears or bearings. The company estimates savings of about 40 percent compared to conventional wind turbines.
That cost advantage should make up for a structure that captures less wind and is not quite as efficient as a conventional three-blade windmill.
The structure is also much safer for birds as it does away with the revolving blades of conventional models which are estimated to kill hundreds of thousands of birds every year.
A 1940 clip of the Tacoma Narrows suspension bridge in the United States stretching like chewing gum in a gale captured the imagination of Yanez as a student. He was inspired to try to translate vorticity - wind whirlpools that can cause structures to collapse as in the case of Tacoma Bridge - into a positive source of energy.
With the present field prototype standing at six metres, the team at Vortex Bladeless said they did not expect such good results.
"We got a surprise when we saw equipment as small as this one which is just six metres tall and even smaller ones produce the results were looking for. What we are trying to do now is develop a very small energy distribution sample that is less than three metres high and can be set up on the rooftops of homes."
The prototype being developed in wind tunnels at a Vortex Bladeless lab is aimed at domestic use in developing countries, although the company's ultimate aim is the big wind energy market with turbines of 100 metres (109 yards) tall or more. The first stages of the project have a clear focus on small installations for domestic or small-scale industrial use.
Vortex plans to produce its three-metre high, 100 watt commercial prototype by the end of the year to be installed on the ground or on roofs, costing around 300 euros ($337) apiece to produce.
The future of the bladeless windmill is aligned to development of energy storing batteries, such as the ones developed by U.S. electric car maker Tesla, Yanez said.
The ability to store energy generated by wind and sun would make renewable energy more efficient and would allow people in developing countries to have an independent power source.
Vortex Bladeless represents a rare bright spot in the Spanish renewable energy industry, which was badly damaged by loss of investor faith after Spain rowed back on subsidy promises at the height of the euro zone debt crisis.
After the company invested around 1 million euros ($1.1 million) in public and private start-up funds, it is close to receiving an injection of $5 million from a U.S. investment fund, its founders said.
A crowd-funding campaign to raise at least $50,000 aimed to increase the visibility of the project. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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