A wind fence developed by New York-based designer Joe Doucet is set to bring clean energy production into urban landscapes. The fence consists of vertical wind turbines, is modular, and, most importantly, is pleasing to the eye, making it more likely to be adopted in hotels, corporate buildings, and residential units.
Wind energy is an important component of the renewable energy mix that countries have adopted as they aim for a future away from fossil fuels. To achieve maximum energy gain and efficiency, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) build bigger turbines every year for large installations.
This has been preventing wind energy from participating in distributed energy generation, much like solar panels can be installed on rooftops, in gardens, and now even on balconies.
In 2021, Doucet was researching distributed energy products for wind energy and found that few good options were available. So, the designer did what he could best: design a new product that was both efficient and scored on aesthetics. READ MORE...
SOURCE: THE MARITIME EXECUTIVE
A consortium of Japanese companies is working to develop a new concept in floating offshore wind turbines that they report will be easier to manufacture while also costing less to build and maintain.
Known as a vertical axis wind turbine, they believe it will be the next generation technology that will also be well suited to the challenges of floating turbines and resilient to harsh weather conditions.
Conventional horizontal axis floating wind turbines have a high center of gravity which requires a large and expensive to build floating structure to maintain the stability of the turbines, especially in harsh conditions such as a typhoon. The towers stand as high as nearly 500 feet, which the Japanese group highlights increases the maintenance costs.
They also point to installation challenges including specialized vessels, and costly port infrastructure for the construction. In addition, the nature of the wind farm makes it difficult to enlarge.
With the vertical axis wind turbine, they report it is possible to increase the power generation to achieve a cost reduction for the overall installation and ongoing operation and maintenance expenses.
The concept uses a series of smaller paddles, a maximum height of approximately 360 feet that are closer to the surface and critically have the ability to tilt up to 20 degrees while maintaining output. It uses a rotating cylindrical floating foundation.
The blades would be produced through a continuous pultrusion method using a molding process to form composite materials with carbon-reinforced plastics. The blades are produced in lengthwise sections with the same cross-sectional shape, eliminating the need for large manufacturing facilities. They would also be easier to transport than the traditional large wind turbine blades. READ MORE...
