Wind and solar energy are the primary renewable energy sources right now. The wind energy is particularly popular in coastal areas and up North where solar energy isn’t dominant. But, there have been numerous problems associated with wind power in addition to the exorbitant cost that these projects demand. There is a divided opinion among masses about the appearance of a wind turbine. Some say the look majestic and serene while other people take the opposite view and saw that they are noisy blips on a beautiful landscape, and the won’t have it in their backyard.
In all fairness, the fast speed of the wind turbines and their noise do tend to irritate wildlife and humans alike. As a result, the fauna of the area is affected. Keeping in mind all these problems caused by the blades of the turbine, a Spanish company has successfully developed a bladeless wind turbine that works on a different scientific principle called the vorticity.
The company behind this extraordinary development is called Vortex Bladeless and aims to harness energy from this concept. Due to this aerodynamic principle, a pattern of spinning vortices is created that can be transformed into electric power using an alternator. The new wind turbines are the shape of a long inverted cone made of fiberglass and carbon fiber. It vibrates in the wind and two opposing magnets present at the base of the cone act as magnetic motors. When the cone sways from one magnet to another, the other magnet pulls it back. This movement is eventually translated into electricity by the alternator discussed before.
Blades take a significant portion of the manufacturing costs of wind turbines as it is estimated at 53 percent of the total cost of the turbine. Plus, the design of the blades is a complicated technology that isn’t available everywhere. Since, the vorticity turbines are bladeless, all the associated costs, need of technical expertise, noise problems, and danger to bird life associated wind turbines will eventually be eliminated. A 41 feet tall vortex tower can capture almost half of the wind’s energy from the air, and they are working to improve the efficiency even further as bladed wind turbines have 75-80% efficiency. But, due to the lower cost, it could be a viable trade-off.
Vortex wants to launch the first 100-watt commercial product by 2018. So far, they have conducted several field tests, wind tunnel tests and undergone synchronization, according to different wind velocities.
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