A WHOLE NEW KIND OF WIND TURBINE
New wind turbines said more efficient
July 13, 2011 (UPI)
"The power output of wind farms can be increased at least ten-fold simply by optimizing the placement of turbines on a given plot of land…[according to a California Institute of Technology] field study at an experimental 2-acre wind farm in northern Los Angeles County…
"Modern farms generally employ horizontal-axis wind turbines, the standard propeller-like giants that have to be spaced far apart, and not just far enough that their giant blades don't touch…With this type of design, the wake generated by one turbine can interfere aerodynamically with neighboring turbines…"
click to enlarge"At their experimental facility, Caltech researchers are using vertical-axis wind turbines that have vertical rotors and look like eggbeaters sticking out of the ground…[T]hey can be positioned very close to one another…
"The vertical turbines at the Caltech experimental farm generate 21 to 47 watts of power per square meter of land area, whereas a comparably sized horizontal turbine farm generates just 2 to 3 watts per square meter, the researchers said."
posted by Herman K. Trabish @ 5:42 AM
2 Comments:
I wonder if the CalTech investigation also considers cost of energy? Land use/kwhr does matter, but so does capital.
I would love to see what NREL has to say on this. NREL has traditionally heavily favored horizontal axis turbines for their superior efficiency of energy.
I love the recent trend to move towards cleaner energy, such as wind energy new york . Do you know anything about incorporating wind energy into communities?
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