While solar springs to mind when discussing clean energy, wind power is another versatile option that can run day and night when the weather permits. New designs are constantly emerging, offering options that are more powerful, more efficient, and safer than ever before.
Honeycomb turbines from Katrick Technologies
This startup has created a unique modular wind turbine with a hexagon shape divided into six triangular cells. Instead of one large rotating blade, the cells contain smaller blades that flap back and forth. The compact cells can be lined up or stacked in any available space, like overpasses and rooftops. They work even in a low wind.
The longest onshore wind turbine
SANY Renewable Energy in China has built a wind turbine blade 430 feet long, for a total rotating diameter of 860 feet. It is almost as large as three football fields and will be used with a 15-megawatt wind turbine unit, which is super light and strong.
SeaTwirl floating turbines
SeaTwirl has set out to create offshore wind power that's easy to build and cheap to maintain. The turbines are set vertically instead of horizontally for an even more efficient design since they can harness wind blowing in any direction. Compared to many other offshore turbine designs, SeaTwirl can also be anchored in deeper water.
The tallest wooden turbine
Modvion in Sweden just created a 344-foot wooden wind turbine for Swedish energy company Varberg Energi. Scheduled for completion at the end of 2023, it was planned using laminated wood stronger and lighter than steel, and glued together onsite instead of being bolted. Modvion CEO Otto Lundman called the material "nature's own carbon (fiber)."
Counter-rotating vertical-axis turbines
This revolutionary design comes from Norwegian startup World Wide Wind and is another setup designed to be used at sea. The two turbines on each unit have blades set at a diagonal angle from the center shaft, and they're designed to spin in opposite directions. This setup produces less turbulence in the water, which means turbines can be packed closer together, and the blades can be longer to catch more wind.
Aeromine "bladeless" wind turbines
These towers are designed to sit on rooftops and work in tandem with solar panels. Their curved foils use wind to create a low-pressure zone like a racecar's rear foil. Air rushing to fill the void turns an internal turbine. Because all the moving parts are internal and hidden from view, the Aeromine is wildlife-safe and very quiet.
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