I used to think that vertical turbines would have the advantage, the same as your logic. But, there’s an inherent loss of efficiency, because the blades / buckets have to come back against the wind. The wind coming from different directions also had me sold for a while, but as that link describes, wildly varying wind just indicates turbulence, and you will never get efficient power from turbulent air. The article also makes a strong case that start up wind speed isn’t really significant, as the power at low speeds is negligible, average wind speed in clear air is the key for power.
The main attraction I can see with a VAWT would be that it could drive a vertical shaft down to ground level, making for fewer maintenance headaches, and less weight on top of a tower. The tower, erection, and periodic lowering for bearing maintenance will still be headaches. Grease lines with grease nipples at the base would be handy. A VAWT on top of a tower would also need some kind of centrifugal brake for safety, as there’s no simple way to furl it in over speed winds.
It would still be nice to see one spinning.
I agree with Andrew about the stub axle / salvaged axle.
Right they are max around 10% efficient vs like 30+% for a 3 prop turbines as you run into a similar problem with interference with more props. The key differences are the windspeed only needs to be 4-5mph before the savonius starts producing vs like 10-15mph winds for the turbine.
The need for a 100w continuous current as being useful (ghost loads, lights?) along with the low cost and ease of construction is why I mentioned it. It is just going to produce power more often but less of it which is a closer simulation of continuous power.
I have thought about building a wind turbine but where I live there is not enough reliable wind. So I have considered inhancing air movement by building a large chimney to get the up draft efect.
In the big old smoke stacks there always seemed to have a large volume of air rushing in and up. If it Is sunny the air could be heated at the base to inhance air flow also if a the top was designed to utilize wind flow to create more air movement in the chimney. I am thinking a turbine or squirrel cage installed in the base for easy servicing. Am thinking water tanks welded together to get a good size for volume and maybe 50 -60ft to get a good lift. Any thoughts.
A friend who has done work on powerplants tells me that there have been workmen sucked half way up those huge chimneys by the draft.
I also remember an article in an old popular science about using a chimney effect to spin a turbine.
I’ve thought of trying just what you suggest, but hasn’t happend yet. I’m not sure how big of a chimney would be required to get a useful amount of power.
I had thought too, of adding a venturi to speed up the air as it passes the impeller.
If you try it, be sure to let us know the results, good or bad.
Yes I will. I have moved to eastern Wa and now getting settled in. So I am going to startcolecting materials for it and many other projects I want to do. I am thinking about building a vortex impeller so it won’t need the high speed.
Several YouTube’s on “Tower Electric Generators”. All a little different. One said it was to be built on the Mexican boarder of Arizona and be completed in 2015. Later I will have to see what I can find on it and if it ever happened.
Barstow Calif has a tower with a field of individual reflectors, all continuously moving the direct the sun raze to the top of the tower. At the top is a structure full of water that turns to steam and the steam is piped to turbines on the ground.
With all of these bright ideas, why isn’t anything really taking off? I have thought about getting electricity from the tide in the ocean. Obama has been pushing this stuff for 8 years and yes we have some wind turbines but not near enough to replace our coal and atomic plants. TomC
If I had to guess it’s part storage problem and part fear of stranded assets. If you have a power plant that is at half life you will do anything in your power to see it to end of life to realise it’s full profit potential. The change is coming and accelerating. Distributed power systems, feed in systems, better insulation better appliances it’s going to come… when though, who knows.
A company in northern Colorado builds large wind turbines. Each blade is an over size load on a truck. When going south on I 25 they stop over night near me. Sense I would like to build a much smaller one and am just curious I stopped to see how theres were shaped. Two things suprised me. One was how thick the blades were. The ratio of thickness to with was about 1 in 3 or 2’ thick to 6’ wide. The other was the inner end, near the hub was cupped on the flat side near the trailing edge, like flaps on a aircraft wing. Since the center moves much slower that should give the blades more tork. Hope this helps if some one trys to build one. Will I hope know more next summer when I can cement in my tower and get one up. It will have to be tall because I don’t want to cut all my trees.
