New Things in Science & Technology Thread

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Wind Power



Using the wind to create electricity has been around for a long time - you've probably seen windmills on farms. When the wind turns the blades of a windmill, it spins a turbine inside a small generator to produce electricity, just like a big coal power plant.

A windmill on a farm can make only a small amount of electricity - enough to power a few farm machines. To make enough electricity to serve lots of people, power companies build "wind farms" with dozens of huge wind turbines.

Wind farms are built in flat, open areas where the wind blows at least 14 miles per hour. Iowa currently has more than 600 wind turbines, producing enough electricity to power 140,000 homes. Minnesota and Wisconsin are also home to wind farms – and the number is growing every day.

Some schools in the Midwest have their own wind farms! In Spirit Lake, Iowa, the school playground is right underneath two wind turbines.

When it comes to size, bigger is better – the bigger the wind turbine, the more wind it reaches and the more electricity it produces.

How a wind turbine works

A wind turbine works the opposite of a fan. Instead of using electricity to make wind, a turbine uses wind to make electricity.

The wind turns the blades, which spin a shaft, which connects to a generator and makes electricity. The electricity is sent through transmission and distribution lines to a substation, then on to homes, business and schools.



The diagram below shows some of the pieces and parts inside a wind turbine:



Wind turbines have an emergency shut-off if a wind storm or tornado happens


Animation:
Wind and Water Power Program: How Does a Wind Turbine Work?

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Loopwing Korea Unveils Solar-Powered Streetlights, Wind Power Generators



Having the goal of reducing the demand for grid electricity, a South Korean company decided to create a new type of streetlights and renewable energy generators.

Looping Korea presented its latest inventions at the Renewable Energy World 2010.

Its loopwing-type wind power generators boast a one-of-a-kind loop-shaped wing structure that allows generating electricity from winds that have speed as low as 2m/s.

In addition, the design also makes it possible for the device to produce power without much noise.

One of the models of loopwing type wind power generator is called the TRONC. It features a hybrid solar and wind energy generator and it doesn't need extra source of energy. Besides, the streetlight can be even connected to such external devices as LED display systems, informs Aving.

TRONC represents a complex that includes a small windmill and sunlight panel mounted on top. It also features a loop wing style blade of that is 1.5 meters in diameter.

Source:
Physics Inventions » Blog Archive » Loopwing Korea Unveils Solar-Powered Streetlights, Wind Power Generators

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Mobile Wind Turbine Generates Renewable Energy Wherever You Are



So far engineers managed to create wind turbines that stand on land or water. However, recently a team of designers presented their new project called "Mobile Wind Turbine". Their device can be easily carried, setup and put into full work by one person.

It is worth mentioning that this portable wind turbine features a carrier that it powered by electricity produced from wind energy. Each wheel is powered by an electric traction motor. If the batteries are out of energy or the engine needs more power, the diesel generator turns on automatically, thus allowing the vehicle to work continuously.

The hydraulics located on the main boom is used to raise two piece wind turbine tower. The thermoplastic tower sections make the structure very strong and lightweight. Designers claim that the mobile wind turbine can generate energy for different applications such as vertical drilling, powering schools, small businesses and office parks.







Source:
http://www.infoniac.com/environment/...r-you-are.html
http://www.renewable-energy-news.inf...wer-generator/

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Windstalk - Another Way of Harnessing Wind Power



Windstalk is a revolutionary concept designed by Atelier DNA, a design company based in New York.

The concept is part of a clean energy production project/tourist attraction developed for Abu Dhabi's Masdar City.

Windstalk features 1,203 carbon fiber reinforced resin poles that are 55 meters (180 feet) high and at their base have a diameter of 30 centimeters (12 inches). At the top the poles are 5 centimeters (2 inches) in diameter. These poles are attached to the ground with the help of concrete bases. The latter have a diameter between 10 and 20 meters (33-66 feet).



It would be interesting to note that the poles feature a number of piezoelectric ceramic discs. Between these discs there are electrodes linked by cables that run along the entire length of each pole. There's one cable that connects the even electrodes and another one that connects the odd electrodes.

Here's how it works: when the wind blows, the pole sways and the piezoelectric discs compress, thus producing a current through the electrodes.

Each pole has a LED lamp installed at the top 50 centimeters (20 inches) of each pole. The lamp indicates the amount of power the poles produce. The stronger the wind the brighter the lamp shines.



In order to collect power, designers thought about placing two big chambers on top of each other. These chambers have the same shape as the poles' bases, but are inverted. During a windy weather, part of the electricity produced is use to power a series of pumps. The latter are used to move water from the lower chamber to the upper one.

After the wind calms down, the water goes from the upper chamber into the lower chamber, making the pumps play the role of generators.

Source:
Windstalks: Another Way To Harness Wind Energy - Technorati Green
http://www.infoniac.com/environment/...ind-power.html

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Airborne Wind Turbines from NASA Could Collect Lots of Energy



A researcher from NASA believes that in the near future wind farms will generate power not only on land and sea, but in the air as well.

The airborne turbines in the image will be able to produce more energy due to greater wind speeds at high altitudes. After collecting enough energy these turbines would send it back to Earth through nanotube tether cables.

A group of such turbines could stay in the air for a year. During storms they could be easily reeled in.

According to NASA aerospace engineer Mark Moore, this project is definitely worth launching. He says that at an altitude of 2000 feet, one wind turbine can collect between 8 and 27 times the power production.

However, the project has some drawbacks. Researchers say that the airborne turbines could have a 2-mile protected no-fly zone, thus causing certain issues for airliners and unmanned aircrafts.

Source:
http://www.infoniac.com/environment/...of-energy.html
NASA researchers envisions airborne wind turbines for renewable energy

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Solar Wind - Bridge that Harnesses Wind and Solar Energy



Italian designers Francesco Colarossi, Giovanna Saracino and Luisa Saracino came up with a stunning design of a structure called Solar Wind. What is even more impressive is that this design can become a reality.

The structure represents a bridge with large wind turbines mounted under it, between the pillars. The bridge will traverse a valley with large open space and the wind turbines will operate at high altitude where the speed of wind is higher, thus more green energy will be collected.

In addition, the "Solar Wind" will be able to harness solar energy, since its entire road will be covered with a dense network of solar cells. The latter will be coated with a see-through and highly resistant type of plastic.

Because the bridge will handle high traffic, designers also offered a Solar Park on the bridge where people can enjoy the panorama.

It was said that the bridge will be able to generate 40 million kWh per year.



Source:
http://www.infoniac.com/environment/...ar-energy.html
The “Solar Wind” Bridge Design Harnesses Energy Two Ways

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Spherical Generator Produces Solar and Wind Power



Arttu-Matti Immonen is an industrial designer who came up with the idea of combining wind and solar energy in one device, thus considerably increasing energy output.

He managed to design a generator called Aard.

The generator takes the shape of a ball and includes flexible solar modules mounted on its surface.

During the day, the Aard collects solar power and stores it in its onboard batteries.

If the weather is windy, the spherical device starts revolving, generating power using onboard dynamos.

The designer wants its generator to be made of aluminum so it would be more lightweight and be able to convert low-speed winds into power.



Source:
http://www.infoniac.com/environment/...ind-power.html
Physics Inventions » Blog Archive » Spherical Generator Produces Solar and Wind Power

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Wind Explorer - World's First Wind-Powered Car to Cross Australia







Two inventors from Germany recently completed their journey across the Australian continent.

Dirk Gion and Stefan Simmerer managed to perform a three-week journey in their wind-powered vehicle.

Dubbed Wind Explorer, the vehicle represents the world's first self-sufficient wind-powered model.

By making use of a mobile wind turbine the car can produce electricity that is stored on onboard lithium-ion batteries.





A television host and an engineer from Germany have completed an almost 5,000 km (3,107 mile) journey across Australia in their Wind Explorer, a lightweight electric vehicle powered by the wind – not only through electricity-generating wind turbines but also using kites. The pioneering 18-day trip by Dirk Gion and Stefan Simmerer set three world records – the first time a continent has been crossed be a wind-powered vehicle, the longest overall distance covered by an exclusively wind-powered land vehicle, and the longest distance covered by such a vehicle in 36 hours.

After setting out from Perth in Western Australia on January 21, 2011, and carrying out various tests, the Wind Explorer’s real journey began on January 26 when it left Albany, the southernmost point of the Australian mainland on the southern coast of Western Australia. For the first 800 km (497 miles), the vehicle was powered entirely by electric power.



Then, taking advantage of strong winds on the Nullarbor Plain, Gion and Simmerer were at times able to use kites to propel the vehicle. While one piloted the open topped vehicle, the other held tight to a large steerable kite similar to a parasail. As can be seen from the video below, this method wasn’t entirely smooth sailing but the vehicle was able to log hundreds of kilometers using kite power.

The trip took the Wind Explorer through the states of Western Australia, South Australia, Victoria and New South Wales, arriving in Sydney on February 14. On the trip the vehicle reached speeds of 80 km/h (50 mph) – not quite as fast as the Greenbird land yacht but not too shabby. January 31 proved to be the Wind Explorer’s best daily performance when it covered 493 km (306 miles).



The journey is even more remarkable when you consider that Gion and Simmerer first came up with the idea for the trip last summer. Within a matter of weeks they were able to enlist the support of industry partners, most notably Essen-based Evonik Industries AG, which provided the materials for the Wind Explorer’s lightweight bodywork and lithium-ion batteries.



Although they received a lot of flat tires and blew two motors, Gion and Simmerer hope their record-breaking journey in the Wind Explorer will prove that the technology is already available to produce self-sufficient and environmentally sound transport.



Source:
http://www.infoniac.com/hi-tech/wind...australia.html
Wind-powered car completes cross-continental journey

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Empire State Building to Buy 100 Percent Wind-Generated Power



The tallest building of the Big Apple, Empire State Building, is about to break some green records.

Currently the building is being renovated. In order to fulfill all of its electricity needs the building authorities will acquire wind power from Green Mountain Energy Company, a firm based in Texas.

The multi-million-dollar contract includes the provision of 55 million kilowatt hours of green power each year. Thus, the authorities will be able to prevent about 100 million ponds of CO2 each year.

For comparison, such cut in carbon dioxide emissions could be obtained if almost all houses in New York state would turn off their lights for a whole week

Source:
http://www.infoniac.com/environment/...ted-power.html
Empire State Building to be Fully Powered by Wind Generated Electricity

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Horizon - Device that Produces Power By Harnessing Solar and Wind Energy



Loseva Larisa and Emtsov Sergey are two Russian designers who visualized the wind-solar power generator and Ivan Romanov is the person who actually designed the device and called it Horizon.

This concept makes use of the Magnus effect (a phenomenon in which a spinning object placed in a fluid produces a whirlpool of fluid around itself).



The cylindrical generator has a streamlined form. By using the Magnus effect and wind speed, the device boasts an effective production of electricity.

It is worth mentioning that the device is composed of two main parts - wind generator and solar generator. The former is made of a shell filled with helium and is linked to 2 symmetrically placed induction motors that produce power by the rotating movement.

Around the cylinder the designers placed circular strips of solar panels, each being 4.2m in diameter. These strips make up the solar generator part.

By using the hollowness and helium, the device can float in the air and take advantage of the Magnus effect, thus harnessing wind power.

The designers believe that the advantages of their project are stability, high efficiency, quietness, mobility and eco-friendliness. The total power that the 20-kilogram Horizon can produce is 4.7KW.



Source:
http://www.infoniac.com/environment/...nd-energy.html
Horizon: A power generator that utilizes both wind and solar energy