Wind Turbine Generators » vertical axis wind turbines

7 Types of Vertical Axis Wind Turbine – Benefits Available!

Mon, 05 Jul 2010 10:51:37 +0000

You may already be familiar with wind turbines, but did you that are actually two types: Vertical and Horizontal. They each perform differnt functions, and both have their advantages and disadvantages. To decide which one is the best for you, look at your needs. Both share the same common factor as they produce energy by using the wind, except that they do it differently. The main rotor shaft in a Vertical Axis Turbine runs vertically rather than horizontally, hence the name. There are of course advantages and disadvantages for it being in this direction. One of the best advantages is that the gearbox can be placed at the bottom of the turbine, which is not possible in a horizontal turbine, so the top of the tower does not carry all the weight.
Another advantage of Vertical Axis Wind Turbines is that it does not have to face in the wind's direction. The disadvantage is that it produces smaller amounts of energy than a horizontal turbine, and if the turbine is running in the same direction that the wind is blowing you can get pulsating torques through each turn of the turbine.
Types of Vertical Axis Wind Turbines
1. The newest type of turbine out at the moment is a windmill which has a rotation sail. When it is in operation the sails look like those you find on a ship, that expand or contract according to the change of winds. Each has three sails where the speed is controlled by a magnetic counter which expands or contracts the sails as needed. To minimise the damage to the sails there is a control unit for this purpose. The sails can tear during a large storm but the frame is very durable.
2. There are aerodynamic turbines with blades just like a plane made of airfoil base in order to capture the wind's energy. They are so designed to catch this artificial current of kinetic energy to the centre. A very effective wind turbine it runs at full capacity most of the time to utilise all the wind energy by redirecting and lifting it upwards to the turbines there. It not only responds to the wind but also free flowing water systems such as creeks, rivers, streams and oceans.
3. Darrieus Wind Turbines are known to be efficient but they are big machines for their shape and size. Because a lot of cyclic stress that is put on the tower it does tend to wear out sooner. It consists of three blades which are shaped like loops which connect to the top and bottom of the axle, and often called the "eggbeater windmill" because that is what it resembles. They are connected from the ground upwards by large external structures which hold it up.
4. The Giromill consists of three vertical blades and was based on the patent of the Darrieus design. It is very low on maintenance as it self starting. The blades of strong, light material which are more robust to cope with the stresses placed upon them. They require less blade speed to channel energy with each turn of the blades as they are very high performing.
5. Savonius Wind Turbine mills usually consist of two scoops which convert windpower into torque on a rotating shaft. There also some which are self starting and feature three scoops. They are quite similar looking to helicopter blades except they are bent in a certain style and shape to provide enough energy to be of use.
6. The blades of Windstar Turbines are straight and made of aluminium. They are attached to either end of a central rotating shaft. There are a number of rotors with their own unique dual braking system of pneumatic disc brakes and blade pitch. Windstar Turbines were designed for locations with stronger winds.
7. Vertical Axis Wind Turbines have many advantages as the running costs are low and they are easier to maintain. They can almost withstand any type of low or high wind. They are smaller which means they can be transported easier. The disadvantages are that producing efficient energy from winds takes twice as much time. The turbines have to be installed on flat land and some models require guide wires, which adds more stress to the bottom of the tower; and they have a low starting torque. A consumer has to look at a design that is suitable for them by deciding on the best one for their needs.

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Wind Turbines–build Your Own Home Wind Turbine

Wed, 30 Jun 2010 10:37:10 +0000

In the United States wind energy is the second biggest source of new energy outpaced only by natural gas. At the end of 2007 wind turbines were producing over 16000 megawatts of electric power and nearly one third of that capacity was installed in 2007. In 2008 about 1% of the united States electric power will be supplied by wind energy. Most of this of course is from large commercial wind turbines but an ever increasing amount is coming from small wind turbines installed by individuals. The home wind turbine is definitely coming into its own as more and more people realise that something must be done to decrease our dependence on electric power supplied by fossil fuel burning generating stations. Gas and coal powered electric power production has increased dramatically over the years and emissions from the fuels burnt in these facilities is a major source of atmospheric pollution.
Wind power by comparision is absolutely clean and the only objectiion to it,voiced by some people,is visual pollution from the arrays of wind turbines necessary for large scale power production. However the residential wind turbine poses no such problems. Relatively small and unobtrusive home wind turbines including vertical axis wind turbines are the key to small scale wind power generation. A combination of home solar panels-wind turbines can produce much of the power required by the average home. Small wind powered turbines are manufactured by a number of companies and can be readily set up either as a rooftop wind turbine or mounted on its own small tower. The recommended tower height is about 30 feet. These are relatively expensive but will pay for themselves in the course of time.
If you know how to build a wind turbine your home wind turbine will cost much less and fortunately this is fairly easy to do. Plans and instructions showing how to build your own wind turbine are readily available and thousands of people have built their own home made wind turbine. You will often be told that strong winds are needed for wind power generation. This is absolutely not so. Even gentle breezes will produce power which is stored in batteries till needed.
If you live far from electric power lines you either get by with no electric power or generate your own. Gasoline powered generators will do the job but they are expensive to run and heavy polluters. You may be fortunate enough to have a stream which can generate power for you using a water power system but these are usually difficult to build and expensive. In most situations a wind turbine is the best answer. You can in fact build your own wind turbine for much less than the price of a commercial model. You could install two or three of them and have plenty of power for all purposes. Building your own home wind turbine is a fairly simple project which the average home workshopper can easily manage. Wind power is the coming thing and will save you money as well as reducing atmospheric pollution. Why not try it?Like to know how to build your own low cost wind turbine easily? Check this out:http://www.greenwindpowerturbine.com
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How Does Wind Power Work?

admin — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 04:20:28 +0000

Wind energy is an environmentally inert, clean, and inexhaustible source of electric power that, as it turns out, is really just another form of solar energy. The sun creates wind by its uneven heating of the planet's atmosphere. It's moderated by the earth's rotation and irregularities in its surface. The planet's terrain, water bodies, and vegetation then affect the wind flow patterns. With the invention of wind turbines, we can now harness the wind's energy and use it instead of purchasing electricity from the utility companies that are derived from non-renewable sources.

The easiest way to understand how wind turbines work is to think of a fan operating in reverse ? rather than electricity spinning the blades and thus generating wind, the wind spins the blades, thereby generating electricity.

Breaking it down to it's simplest components, a wind turbine operates as follows:

the wind turns the blades

the blades spin a shaft

the shaft connects to a generator

the generator produces electricity

To expand on that simplification, the turbine's blades are connected to a hub that's mounted atop a turning shaft which runs into a gear transmission box that increases the turning speed which, in turn, is connected to a high speed shaft that cranks the generator. If the wind speeds get too high, a brake is deployed to slow the blades down and prevent damage being done to the system.

There are two basic types of wind turbine:

horizontal axis wind turbines: the kind most commonly in use today and the focus of U.S.
Department of Energy research on wind power, these come in two varieties ?

2-blade horizontal axis turbines spin downwind

3-blade horizontal axis turbines spin upwind

vertical axis wind turbines

The size of a wind turbine will influence its power generating capacity, with the smaller windmills that produce under 50 kilowatts being the type most commonly used to power water pumps, telecom dishes, and homes.

In an innovative advancement known as hybrid wind systems, these smaller turbines are also being used in combination with solar (photovoltaic) systems, rechargeable deep-cycle batteries, and diesel generators to provide storable, on-demand power in more remote, off-the-grid places.

In most residential situations, a wind turbine is used as a supplemental source of power in combination with local, on-the-grid, utility power. There is something called a cut-in speed (7-10 miles per hour), below which the wind turbine will cease to provide an output, and the utility grid provides the structure's power. Above the cut-in speed, the wind turbine kicks in and the grid power supply is proportionately reduced (depending on the structure's energy draw at the given moment).

If the output produced by the wind turbine exceeds the draw from the structure (and/or storage devices, like batteries), the excess power is then sold back to the pubic utility company. Use of wind energy can reduce a residence's energy costs by, on average, 50-90%, though these numbers are influenced by a variety of factors and, as such, can fluctuate greatly.

In a typical residence that uses under 10,000 kilowatt hours per year of electric power, a 5-15 kilowatt wind turbine should more than suffice. This type of system can run anywhere from $6,000-$22,000 to install, depending on a variety of factors, including: its size, your intended application, and any service contracts entered into with the manufacturer.

Being that certain situations (such as in the city) make personal wind power use an unviable option, a general rule of thumb is to consider installing your own wind power system if and only if you pay at least 10 cents per kilowatt hour and your location's average wind speeds exceed 10 miles per hour.

The larger wind turbines have capacities upwards of 50 kilowatts, running these days into the several-megawatt range. These windmills, known as utility scale turbines, can be grouped together and connected to central lines for transmitting and distributing in bulk to the local utility grids that, in turn, sell that power to homes and businesses across the land. These are called wind power plants or wind farms.

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Wind Turbine Generators » vertical axis wind turbines

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