Spanish Firm Designs Bladeless Wind Turbine
June 9, 2015
One of the chief ecological complaints about wind turbines is how birds can fly into their blades and be killed. To solve this problem -- as well as reduce the amount of materials it takes to build a turbine and make it more cost-effective -- a Spanish company has designed a new bladeless wind turbine, aptly named the Bladeless Vortex.
The concept of a device that makes wind without blades is not a new one; Dyson already sells a bladeless fan, although the Vortex design is on a larger scale and has a different look than Dyson's product. The Vortex in complete form looks like the base of a typical turbine that gradually gets slightly thicker at the top.
Instead of capturing energy via the rotational motion of a turbine's blades, the Vortex takes advantage of what's known as vorticity, according to the company. Vorticity is an aerodynamic effect that occurs when wind breaks against a solid structure. When this structure starts to oscillate, it captures the energy that is produced.
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By generating energy in this way, the Vortex not only doesn't kill birds, it also has a number of other benefits, the company said on its IndieGogo campaign page, on which it's aiming to raise $50,000. At the time this article was written, the company already had exceeded its goal by more than $1,000.
The Bladeless Vortex has five main parts: foundation, rod, generation system, tuning system, and mast. Engineers have streamlined the design of the turbine so none of the parts are in contact, which means it has no gears or linkages and thus requires a smaller amount of raw materials for manufacturing, the company said. This also cuts production costs and the time it will take to produce the turbines.
Unlike turbines with blades, the Vortex doesn't make any noise, another benefit to the design, according to the company. The turbine's designers also estimate that the Bladeless Vortex will produce energy at a 40% lower cost than a comparable wind installation due not only to its lowered production costs but also lower maintenance costs. This is because the turbine has less parts that will suffer wear and tear -- and none that come into contact and thus cause friction that can break down materials -- than conventional turbines.
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The company aims to design Bladeless Turbines for both small-scale and large-scale deployments. Within a year 100W and 4 Kw turbines will be available for small-scale and residential use, according to the company.
See the Bladeless Vortex in action:
Elizabeth Montalbano is a freelance writer who has written about technology and culture for more than 15 years. She has lived and worked as a professional journalist in Phoenix, San Francisco, and New York City. In her free time she enjoys surfing, traveling, music, yoga, and cooking. She currently resides in a village on the southwest coast of Portugal.
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