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Here in Australia we are familiar with the small roof top ventilators which can be seen rotating with the slightest breeze.
Why not use larger versions with a generator and batteries etc installed inside to power the house.
See pictures below.
I'm sure these will be much quieter than propeller types and can be visually styled and colored to match the home design. Instead of the Islam styled bulbous tops you could also use conical designs which will better match western cultures.
Downwind Guru Joined: 09/09/2009 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2333
Posted: 02:50am 07 Apr 2010
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It looks like a turbin on your house.
Its just missing the checked tea towel look.
I wonder how Gizmo would shut one of them down in the last cyclone?
He would have ended up with a helli house and might need a tail rudder to go with it.
Puts a new meaning to moving house?
Construct it so that the vanes can be angled as part of a feedback loop to keep the rotational speed more consistent. In high winds just shut them completely leaving a smooth surface.
MacGyver Guru Joined: 12/05/2009 Location: United StatesPosts: 1329
Posted: 03:24am 07 Apr 2010
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You're dreaming. A turbine of this design would have to be as large as the whole house to generate any meaningful power. If you're serious about "running your whole house" using this design, it's time to do some research.
These little things are designed to "pull" air from attic spaces, that's all. As the wind spins the thing, the centrifugal force caused by the angular momentum drags out more air than would vent by gravity.
Conventional Vertical Axis Wind Turbines (VAWTs) are known globally for their lack of power and typical NO start-up power.
Also, if you extrapolate the weight of that one shown in your picture, it likely weighs in at several tons. Would you be comfortable with several tons rotating above your head, supported atop a type 5 wood structure?
That's okay, dreaming is fun; we all do it from time to time. I like the picture by the way; very clever.
. . . . . MacNothing difficult is ever easy!
Perhaps better stated in the words of Morgan Freeman,
"Where there is no struggle, there is no progress!"
Copeville, Texas
Wow, I forget that most people lack imagination or are just downright negative by nature. I always start with the concept that ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE and then set about seeing how it can be made viable. Often its not viable but its ALWAYS possible.
All the negative points you mention can be designed out of existence. I never suggested making it out of 3 inch thick steel. Normal 0.8mm sheetmetal will suffice and won't weigh anywhere near what you suggest. Use carbon fiber if the weight bothers you that much.
The design tries to tackle the problem of wind-power aesthetics in an urban environment. How can you utelize wind power without putting up unsightly contraptions on towers?
So Vertical Axis Wind Turbines have deficiencies which need addressing. Then address them.
I don't know exactly what power output can be extracted from a system like this but in ancient times a similar design concept was used to turn a really heavy stone to grind flower.
GWatPE Senior Member Joined: 01/09/2006 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2127
Posted: 05:33am 07 Apr 2010
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We tend to avoid living in windy places that would be OK to locate a viable windmill.
What you are suggesting is locating a poor performing windmill in a poor wind location.
In the suburbs, a VAWT to produce a useful amount of power would need to be a similar size to a house. If a smaller size was considered, then it would be classified as an ornament.
There are so many things that are against a windmill in the suburbs, even a HAWT, mainly due to the lack of real wind.
Towers are still used to carry power lines around the country. They are a bit of an eyesore as well.
A windmill tower does not have to be unsightly. Many monopole designs are available these days for some added cost. A small scale Hawt blades tend to dissapear when the rotor is spinning. This does not happen with a VAWT.
My own windmills are used by the locals as weather indicators. I have electricity power poles in the streets around my home and my windmills are not out of place at all.
With the choice of placing a 7 sqm rotor HAWT, or a 15 sqm VAWT on your house, for a similar power output, I know what the neighbours would prefer.
Gordon.
become more energy aware
MacGyver Guru Joined: 12/05/2009 Location: United StatesPosts: 1329
Posted: 07:58pm 07 Apr 2010
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ultrabiz
Don't listen to me! Forge ahead; I'll just hide and watch.
By the way, it's not negativity so much. My suggestions come by way of experience. If you think of life as a storage battery, by definition you have to have a negative side, it's just the way things are. Call it what you want; like I said, I'll hide and watch.
Best wishes.
Nothing difficult is ever easy!
Perhaps better stated in the words of Morgan Freeman,
"Where there is no struggle, there is no progress!"
Copeville, Texas
GWatPE Senior Member Joined: 01/09/2006 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2127
Posted: 11:30pm 07 Apr 2010
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Hi MacGyver,
I quote this from ultrabizz above.
The viability is going to be the problem. VAWT's have been around as long as HAWT's, and many smart people have tried to make them viable. What we see around the world in the commercial windmill models is not a conspiracy against a VAWT, but the viability component shown at the $ level.
I will be like ultrabizz and see what others can come up with, and let them address the problems.
Notice. New forum software under development. It's going to miss a few functions and look a bit ugly for a while, but I'm working on it full time now as the old forum was too unstable. Couple days, all good. If you notice any issues, please contact me.
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