Posts Tagged wind turbine

Airborne Wind Turbine Company Makani Power Bought by Google

Posted by Ovidiu Sandru in Wind Power on May 24, 2013

Makani Power, the company who made an airborne wind turbine a few years ago, has been acquired by Google for an undisclosed sum. Google had already invested about $15 million in them and if they bought the idea it may mean there’s something worth following about Makani. The Makani Power team will now joing Google [...]

Large Wind Farms Need Improved Computer Modeling, Study Shows

Posted by Ovidiu Sandru in Wind Power on April 18, 2013

As technology progresses, and wind power is becoming less expensive, the demand for larger wind farms increases. Alongside with growth comes a new challenge: the profit that needs to be obtained is in direct correlation with the accuracy with which the total power output is predicted. The total performance of the wind farm decreases when [...]

Wind Turbines Falsely Accused to Cause Sickness, Study Claims

Posted by Mila Luleva in Wind Power on March 16, 2013

‘Wind turbine sickness’ was found to be a purely psychological phenomenon, according to a new study by a public health scientist at Sidney University. Thousands of people around the world claim that their health is affected by wind farms. Increased blood pressure and blood glucose are just some of the symptoms triggered by sleepless nights and constant [...]

Large Wind Farms Might Produce Less Energy Than Thought

Posted by Mila Luleva in Energy news, Wind Power on March 4, 2013

A study conducted by scientists from University of North Carolina and Harvard University claims that global wind power resources have been significantly overestimated. Amanda S Adams and David W Keith state that production levels of 2 to 7 watts per square meter, estimated before, are unrealistic and should be brought down to not more than [...]

Student-Made Micro Wind Turbines Harvest Subway Airflow in India

Posted by Ovidiu Sandru in Wind Power on February 28, 2013

Micro wind turbines installed in subway tunnels recover the energy lost through the friction of the trains with the air. A team of 10 students and two teachers from Kalindi College at Delhi University is now studying, simulating and building a micro turbine prototype that could produce up to 200 watts of power each. The [...]

Honda Uses Wind Turbines to Manufacture Cars at Ohio Factory

Posted by Leigh Kim in Wind Power on February 12, 2013

At its transmission plant in Russells Point, Ohio, Honda is currently installing wind turbines that will supply 10% of the factory’s electricity needs. In addition to reducing CO2 emissions, experts predict the turbines will produce 10,000 megawatt hours per year. Honda will have the distinction of having the first automotive manufacturing facility in the United [...]

Technology Helping Wind Turbines Overtake Fossil Fuels for Energy

Posted by Leigh Kim in Wind Power on February 7, 2013

Although wind turbines do not appear to have changed much over the years, the technology behind them has gotten considerably more sophisticated. This has led to the increase in the amount of electricity wind turbines can generate and has lowered the cost of wind power. General Electric’s 2.5-120 wind turbine is a leader in the [...]

Superconductors Could Increase Wind Turbine Efficiency

Posted by Benji Jerew in Superconductors, Wind Power on January 8, 2013

One of the great limitations in any electrical or electronic system is resistance. Electrical resistance, measured in “Ω” or ohms, is not a constant, but dependent on temperature. As the temperature increases, resistance also increases. When considering wind turbine generators, there are limits to the amount of electricity can be generated. The problem is that [...]

Atypical Design Leads to High Output, Cost Effective Wind Generator

Posted by Leigh Kim in Wind Power on December 11, 2012

One bright-eyed startup company, SheerWind, a Minnesota based company, believes its INVELOX system might just transform the wind industry. SheerWind asserts their ducted turbine can perform in wind speeds as low as 2 MPH, thereby reducing the cost of wind power to less than 3 cents per KWh. SheerWind also claims INVELOX has a minimal [...]

Donald Trump’s False Claims About Wind Turbines Rejected in Scotland

Posted by Leigh Kim in Wind Power on November 24, 2012

Members of Scottish Parliament (MSP) have rejected Donald Trump’s incorrect, outrageous, and unsubstantiated claims that wind turbines will do incredible damage to the Scottish tourism industry. However, Mr. Trump may have an ulterior motive; he is trying to stop an offshore turbine from being developed because it is in view of his north-east golf course. [...]

Will High Altitude Kites Replace Wind Turbines?

Posted by Leigh Kim in Wind Power on November 20, 2012

Could stunt kites be the future of energy? Could high altitude kites replace the tried-and-true wind turbine? A Berlin-based wind energy developer is betting YES. NTS GmbH is attempting to harness the wind with high flying kites and convert the captured energy into electricity. NTS GmbH realized that while stunt kites are used for extreme [...]

Biodegradable Blades for Wind Turbines Could Green Up the Wind Industry

Posted by Leigh Kim in Wind Power on November 20, 2012

The United States currently has enough wind turbines to power 12 million homes and is growing by leaps and bounds, and wind energy is clearly the future of alternative energy. But few know there is a seedy side to this renewable energy. Unbeknownst to many, petroleum-based resins constitute the physical components of wind turbines, and [...]

Wind Turbine Innovator Inspires Community Involvement

Posted by Leigh Kim in Wind Power on November 7, 2012

On October 25, Kean Stimm of Kean Wind Turbines, Inc. announced his self-proclaimed engineering breakthrough to the Springville Area Chamber of Commerce and Springville-Griffith Institute high school upperclassmen. Stimm’s goal for the lecture was to inspire the next generation of engineers and activists and to highlight the importance of community involvement in realizing sustainable energy [...]

“Eggbeater” VAWT Design More Powerful and Efficient

Posted by Leigh Kim in Wind Power on November 2, 2012

The Darrieus eggbeater vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT) has a new iteration which claims to produce 35% more annual kilowatt hours than any other turbine within the same swept area and price point. The new iteration produces considerably more power at a mounting point 25% lower than competitors thereby enabling the point of use to [...]

A Portable Wind Turbine That Fits Into a Truck Container

Posted by Mila Luleva in Wind Power on October 22, 2012

It is already well established that for isolated communities wind turbines are a perfect source of energy. However, needless to say, these turbines, especially the large ones, have a labor-intensive set-up and require expert knowledge for construction and maintenance. In this respect, The Portable Power Center (PPC), by Uprise Energy, introduced a self-contained unit that [...]