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Solar Aero's bladeless wind turbine
Green.yahoo.com ^ | May 4, 2010 | Philip Proefrock

Posted on 07/31/2010 9:04:59 AM PDT by Abathar

A research company in New Hampshire recently announced the patent of their bladeless wind turbine, which is based on a patent issued to Nikola Tesla in 1913. The Fuller Wind Turbine developed by Solar Aero has only one rotating part, the turbine-driveshaft. The entire assembly is contained inside a housing, so that this turbine offers several advantages versus blade-style (primarily horizontal-axis type) turbines. With a screened inlet and outlet, this turbine does not present a danger to wildlife such as bats and birds. To an outside observer, the only movement visible is the entire turbine housing as it adjusts to track the wind. This also makes it a good candidate for use near military surveillance and radar installations, where moving blades would otherwise cause difficulties.

According to the company, the turbine is expected to deliver power at a cost comparable to coal-fired power plants. Total operating costs over the lifetime of the unit are expected to be about $0.12/kWh. The turbine also should have fewer maintenance requirements, leading to lower lifetime operating costs. The turbine itself can also be supported on magnetic bearings, and all of the generating equipment kept at ground level, which will also make maintenance easier. The company estimates "final costs will be about $1.50/watt rated output, or roughly 2/3 the cost of comparable bladed units."

(Excerpt) Read more at green.yahoo.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: greenpower; tesla; turbines; windmills; windturbine; windturbines
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Tesla patented this almost 100 years ago, interesting concept if I understand it correctly. This could reduce the bird chopping ginsu blades and low frequency thumping of the current turbines we are using. It is probably much safer for all involved also if you have ever seen one of the current style turbines self destruct.

1 posted on 07/31/2010 9:05:01 AM PDT by Abathar
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To: Abathar

Bladeless fans on the market for home use; had never seen one, until recently and they are quite amazing and have a fine asthetic, especially, for a fan.


2 posted on 07/31/2010 9:08:16 AM PDT by cricket ( flies don't lie. . .message sent to the man who would be King.. . .)
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To: cricket

Dyson makes one. I was at a store and felt this breeze hitting me, I was looking around to see where it was coming from and there was this round ring sitting there.

Thought it was kind of cool until I spotted the $300 price tag on it, that kind of cooled it coolness for me.


3 posted on 07/31/2010 9:10:50 AM PDT by Abathar (Proudly posting without reading the article carefully since 2004)
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To: Abathar

Sounds like they are planning on marketing a version for homes and farms based on what I read at their website:
“Reduced life-cycle costs make the unit desirable for urban rooftops and for use where support and maintenance infrastructure is limited.”


4 posted on 07/31/2010 9:13:43 AM PDT by RobRoy (The US Today: Revelation 18:4)
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To: Abathar; cricket

Was the Dyson fan really as good as they make it sound?

I was interested in purchasing one, not to use as a fan per-say, but just to study its working.

I cannot understand how they managed to produce a powerful breeze by using a base-mounted fan blowing air through an annular ring. It just doesn’t compute.


5 posted on 07/31/2010 9:14:18 AM PDT by James C. Bennett
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To: Abathar
Every far used to have a windmill.

If they can make the technology work and cost competitive, we will see things like this on rooftops across America.

A very big if.

6 posted on 07/31/2010 9:15:22 AM PDT by FatherofFive (0bama is dangerous and must be stopped.)
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To: RobRoy

Revenge against the government.

How can they tax utilities if you don’t use THEIR utilities.


7 posted on 07/31/2010 9:16:49 AM PDT by longtermmemmory (VOTE! http://www.senate.gov and http://www.house.gov)
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To: James C. Bennett

That’s probably why it’s $300. Lots of research and design.


8 posted on 07/31/2010 9:19:43 AM PDT by wastedyears (The Founders revolted for less.)
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To: James C. Bennett

If you live near a Best Buy Store you can see them displayed.


9 posted on 07/31/2010 9:20:30 AM PDT by UB355 (Slower traffic keep right)
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To: Abathar

Dyson may have something to say about this.

Already selling a home based product.


10 posted on 07/31/2010 9:20:34 AM PDT by Marty62 (marty60)
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To: James C. Bennett

It is really neat, a steady stream of air with no pulsations in it, rather like a steady breeze when you are up close.

It’s not the resonating frequency you get from a regular fan like the commercial says, once you know to look for it you realize it’s not there.


11 posted on 07/31/2010 9:21:03 AM PDT by Abathar (Proudly posting without reading the article carefully since 2004)
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To: Marty62

He got the patent issued so it must be different from what Dyson is using.


12 posted on 07/31/2010 9:22:59 AM PDT by Abathar (Proudly posting without reading the article carefully since 2004)
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To: Abathar

Neither the picture, the diagrams or the explanation provide meaningful description of how this works. None demonstrate airflow transference to torque or even direction of flow. Can anyone explain this better?


13 posted on 07/31/2010 9:24:17 AM PDT by downtownconservative
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To: Abathar

1) If it has a rotating turbine-driveshaft, even internal, you can’t say that it has “no moving parts”.

2) Those wind screens will significantly reduce the energy available.

3) The “bird kill” thing is way overblown anyway; outside of Altamont Pass, which was built in just about the worst place you could put a wind farm with just the worst turbine design you could have used, it’s a minor issue.

There actually is a wind power generator system with no moving parts (with the possible exception of pumps), although it’s not a turbine. There’s a type of electrostatic wind generator. Water droplets are allowed to blow off from sharp protrusions at high altitude. They land on another electrode or on the ground, building up an electrostatic potential. That is, to say, any small natural negative charge on the tower tends to negatively charge the droplets due to the tight field lines, which amplifies the charge differential when they’re blown away. The wind does the work of separating charge by pulling charged water droplets off. I’ve seen one design proposal for this that suggests condensing the water and using the system for desalination as well.


14 posted on 07/31/2010 9:24:17 AM PDT by OldGuard1
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To: Abathar

Additional link:

http://www.physorg.com/news192426996.html

I’d like to point out the opposite use of this device, and one that may be just as valuable.

That is, as created, it turns airflow into mechanical energy. Why not use it to turn mechanical energy into airflow?

A conventional, and popular, device that does this right now is the centrifugal fan, as is used in swamp coolers.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centrifugal_fan

But there may also be a future for centrifugal fans in a new class of aircraft, called the FanWing, which is alleged to be more efficient than a helicopter, with greater lift, quieter, and mechanically simpler.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fanwing

http://www.fanwing.com/

Now here’s the big question: How does the flow rate of a *reversed* bladeless wind turbine compare to that of a bladed centrifugal fan?

If it is as good as, or better than a centrifugal fan, it could very well end up producing powered flight in an aircraft.


15 posted on 07/31/2010 9:25:34 AM PDT by yefragetuwrabrumuy
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To: yefragetuwrabrumuy

Bookmark


16 posted on 07/31/2010 9:29:36 AM PDT by Publius6961 ("In 1964 the War on Poverty Began --- Poverty won.")
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To: Abathar

Look at the base and you will find a small fan.


17 posted on 07/31/2010 9:34:59 AM PDT by Taylor42
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To: Abathar
Wow. A squirrel cage blower in reverse to become a wind turbine. Big deal.


18 posted on 07/31/2010 9:38:04 AM PDT by Yo-Yo (Is the /sarc tag really necessary?)
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To: longtermmemmory

“How can they tax utilities if you don’t use THEIR utilities.”

Easy, put a tamperproof meter on it and demand payment using the same threats we already have to deal with.

We live in the sticks and we have our own water well. There has been talk about putting meters on such wells and charging us for our own water.

Should this occur, I WILL sneak in a hidden well, and hope that I can afford the penalty if I get caught. They seem to be hell bent to make crooks out of us.


19 posted on 07/31/2010 9:40:54 AM PDT by Gator113 (Beauty will devour the Beast in 2012....)
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To: Yo-Yo

Nope, completely different concept. There are no fins like that at all in the unit.


20 posted on 07/31/2010 9:43:18 AM PDT by Abathar (Proudly posting without reading the article carefully since 2004)
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