As the blades alternatively catch the wind and then move against it, they create wear and tear on the structure, says Fort Felker, director of the National Wind Technology Center at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory. Vertical-axis wind turbines aren’t as efficient as conventional ones-half of the time the blades are actually moving against the wind, rather than generating the lift needed spin a generator. The approach, however, faces some challenges. Because they’re shorter, they interfere less with helicopter operations and with radar than conventional wind turbines. And their short profile has attracted a $1 million grant from the Department of Defense to study their use on military bases. While the noise of conventional wind turbines has led some communities to campaign to tear them down, his turbines are “almost inaudible,” he says.
The performance of the wind farm at Igiugig will help determine whether his estimates of maintenance costs are correct.ĭabiri says small, vertical wind turbines have other advantages.
#Home wind turbine vertical axis generator#
He also says maintenance costs could be less because the generator sits on the ground, rather than at the top of a 100-meter tower, and thus is easier to access. He says the smaller ones are easier to manufacture and could cost less than conventional ones if produced on a large scale. Little wind: At a test plot in Los Angeles County, California, John Dabiri tests his concepts for wind farms made of small, vertical-axis wind turbines.ĭabiri’s wind turbines are 10 meters tall and generate three to five kilowatts, unlike the 100-meter-tall, multi-megawatt machines in conventional wind farms.
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