Introducing the potential turbine of the future; the ultra efficient Wind Lens designed by Kyushu University professor Yuji Ohya. According to Yuji Ohya and his team the Wind Lens’ honeycomb-like structure could triple the amount of wind energy that can be produced by offshore turbines.
The futuristic design was unveiled at Yokohama Renewable Energy International Exhibition 2010. The lens shape structure intensifies wind flow and allows the turbine blades to turn faster. Ohya’s design doesn’t have too many moving parts — just a hoop that “magnifies” wind power, and a turbine that is rotated by wind captured from the hoop. Each Lens, which measures 112 meters in diameter, can provide enough energy for an average household.
Subscribe to the Tech the Future newsletter by filling out the form below. We'll keep you up to date.
A confirmation email will be sent to your mailbox.
Read more at Inhabitat: “Wind Lens” Turbines Could Boost Energy Generation 3X | Inhabitat – Green Design Will Save the World
About admin
Only one household – is this right – a 4m conventional wind turbine is enough for domestic supplies in the UK – does this include all the energy for heating or something – seems an awfully big turbine at 112m diameter for just one household.
That aside does a smaller turbine benefit by the same proportion – if so then this could really switch on the micro generation market as turbines could be 1/3 the currently required size for a given output – hence potentially much cheaper to install.
I would surely hope that these “wind concentrator turbines” can deliver more energy than for the average household.Vestas manufactures a turbine with 112m diameter which produces 3MW – if this invention should triple that, then you would expect 9MW – I would like to see that average household
)
The artist’s conception is unrealistic, not steerable and has no means of holding the turbine.
No reputable professor is going to craft a turbine and claim it produces “3 times” as much energy. 3 times is too round a number, why not 2.94 times? Sounds like a scam and heres why: It has been mathematically proven than the maximum turbine efficiency is 59.6%. How is a new turbine going to triple that. Going overunity?
This is nothing but a ducted turbine, and these dont work as claimed. The wind speed does increas but the pressure drops: Less pressure=Less energy. Check out bernoulli’s law.
my electrical power consumption – 2 persons normal householt – energy saving in good condition – is about 1.200kwh/a (in 1 year)
9 megawatt power production means with supposed efficiency of ~0.7 (offshore) approximately 46.000 householts/year in my category (medium – low)
So many comments in so little time, I have to join and agree, it’s indeed a great post. the site is awesome