A Different Wind-Gen Paradigm

[heyniceguy]

Just want to get your comments on this wind generator design. Basically, instead of using open ended blades to turn a central hub generator, this unit uses magnetic tips on the blades which spin through an outer wheel channel containing windings to induce current.

This one is 6' diameter for home/land use. What are your comments/ideas on a smaller version for marine use? Is there something like this already out there? Pros/Cons?

http://www.earthtronics.com/pdf2/New-2011-North-America-Catalog.pdf

The first thing i noticed would be less blade collisions with objects moving upward towards it (like rods or arms), contacting the static outer wheel first. How do you think a design like this would handle blade imbalance?

[denverd0n]

185 lbs. Heavy darned thing to be mounting on a boat!

[GordMay]

I don't know about a smaller marine version, but the Honeywell Wind Turbine linked measures 6 feet in diameter, weighs 185 lbs.

[heyniceguy]

True. Too heavy for a boat. The one listed is for land/home use. I was just speculating on the method of electrical generation and its potential application for marine use. Perhaps a 1/2 scale version of this 6 footer. No one's offering a product like that yet and i was wondering if the cruising community at large would see any pros/cons with a scaled down marine version. Anything jump out at you as being obvious that a newbie like me wouldnt see?

[boatman61]

I think it looks cute.... maybe a 1.5ft across version would be better

[GordMay]

I think that scaling down the Honeywell turbine to (say) half size (3' dia) would reduce the blade power and tip speed by a factor of 4 each. The mini turbine would thus produce something on the order of 1/16Th (6-1/4%) of the power that the original 6 Ft device generates.

[djmarchand]

I did a little on line research about this wind turbine. One reviewer believes that the power output is overstated by a factor of 2-4 and other benefits like low wind speed startup and gearbox losses are irrelevant for small turbines.

But recognizing that you can't believe what any promoter says, the concept is intriguing. The design minimzes blade tip vortex losses, but at the expense of weight. Scale it down to 4' diameter and the power drops by 55% and the weight maybe to 90 lbs. Still way, way too heavy for boating use.

The ubiquitous Air X has a 46" blade diameter but weighs only 13 lbs.

So my take is that it is interesting for land use, but it will never make it for boats.

David

[Bergovoy]

i think it is kinda all the same thing, but different...

as our knowedge and avaliable resources evolve we will change our designs and beliefs of what is feasible and economimcal..

the issue with blade tip a few years ago would have been the size/weight of the magnets vs their relative magnetic strength... now that we have better and more efficient magnets, and carbon fiber and other materials are more lightweight, creating a housing that goes around the 'outside' of the blades is more feasible.

but ultimately, the same laws of physics apply.. no matter where the weight/mass is, the creation of energy falls under the same laws.. the more heavy the rotor is the more wind it will take to move it...

the only thing that will help will to make the magnets more efficient and the conductors more efficient and to not lose or use energy to turn and or conduct...

There maybe a cost factor that maybe part of the feasibility equation, and weight and cost of fabrication and delivery.

but usually those factors dont apply as the 'cost' will always be whatever we are willing to apy for it... and not what it actually costs to produce