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Forum Index : Off topic archive. : Innovative new Dutch windturbine.
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| Dinges Senior Member  Joined: 04/01/2008 Location: AlbaniaPosts: 510 |
It's a known fact that most people here, and in the professional windturbine business, regard the blades of a windturbine as a necessary nuisance. They're complicated contraptions, designed with some ill-understood voodoo we call 'aerodynamics'. They're hard and expensive to make, requiring either expensive composites and moulds, or, in our hobby ventures, a chainsaw with sharp teeth that loves nothing more than to force you to switch from a decimal to an octal base number when counting on your fingers. And what's worse, these blades are potential killers of wildlife - cute little innocent birds who've just learned to fly fall prey to these mighty swooshing blades that cut everything in their path like a meatgrinder. So... all these disadvantages and problems of the blades has set a few Dutch windmill designers thinking: what if we could get entirely rid of the blades? Okay, before you start laughing at me (us), dare to think outside of the box for a moment, and consider all the advantages: - cheaper to build - less maintenance - no noise - less horizon pollution - no more dead birds (except the dumb ones that fly straight into the tower; they probably don't deserve to live and procreate anyway, so in that sense the windmill would enhance evolution of that species) Obviously Dutch windmill designers have also been thinking outside the box and realized the enormous advantages that bladeless turbines would have. Now, before anyone starts saying 'sure, Peter, it may look good on paper, but it's just vaporware at the moment, I'll believe it when I see it', I present you with the first evidence ever on the internet that those blade-less windturbines are now past the R&D stage and into the prototype testing stage: 
(I'm sorry about the less-than-stellar pictures, but I had to take them in secret with a small camera while no one was looking; the digital zoom doesn't enhance the image either) As you can see, the new innovative turbine is flanked by two other, oldfashioned turbines with blades. Obviously they've done this to get reliable data to compare the performance of the new windmill to the old design. I'm afraid I don't have test results of its performance yet because all this stuff is very hush-hush. I'm not even sure I'm allowed to post a picture of this turbine on the internet without facing severe repercussions. Time will tell, but if you don't hear from me again then I've probably been taken away 'for a ride' by some guys in black suits and wearing sunglasses. Anyway, no definite results of its performance are in as of yet, but if this new concept lives up to its expectations then I'm sure we won't be disappointed. It's probably just a matter of time till windturbines with blades will be considered obsolete and you'll only see those modern, blade-less turbines installed all over the country. And I wonder who will be the first on this forum to go this modern route too on his DIY windmills and do away with those nasty blades all-together. It would surely have to be an innovative person who dares to think outside boxes. Either way - don't forget who told you about it first! Peter. |
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| RossW Guru  Joined: 25/02/2006 Location: AustraliaPosts: 495 |
Oh, cool Peter! I've always been an "early adopter" of new technology, so best I run out today and remove those cumbersome blades from my turbine. I see the one you posted was servo controlled, and therefor never had a tail - my smaller turbine has a tail, do you think I should remove it too? I'm guessing that without the blades, the direction its facing is probably irrelevant? Thanks in advance, RossW |
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Gizmo Admin Group  Joined: 05/06/2004 Location: AustraliaPosts: 5116 |
I'm working in secret on a way to get rid of the mast and guy wires. Glenn The best time to plant a tree was twenty years ago, the second best time is right now. JAQ |
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GWatPE Senior Member Joined: 01/09/2006 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2127 |
Probably a result of the downward economic trends. become more energy aware |
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| Robb Senior Member Joined: 01/08/2007 Location: AustraliaPosts: 221 |
Ah yes but we heard about this design a few weeks back. This is the new design that pipes the air down the inside of the tower to the ground mounted turbine in the shed  . |
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| Dinges Senior Member Joined: 04/01/2008 Location: AlbaniaPosts: 510 |
Ross, your pioneering spirit is impressive! (Peter is reminded of the words by one of his old profs when dealing with the subject of the technology life cycle ... 'the pioneers tend to get killed by the indians'...) Glenn, wow! Surprized those Dutch designers haven't thought of making that next logical step too! Just look at all the advantages it would bring to get rid of the tower as well! Gordon, I doubt the economic situation (which, surprizingly, isn't that bad here, considering) has much to do with it. This turbine has been without blades for at least 2 years, maybe more. Beats me why they haven't repaired it yet. About 2 years ago I noticed a lot of the turbines were down, regularly 1/3 wasn't (visibly) working. Lately I notice that just about every time that I pass them they're all working (or at least, the blades are rotating). Except for the one with the missing blades, of course. A few 100.000 euro worth of high-tech machinery sitting idle for two years, not generating revenue, doesn't make a lot of sense to me. In industry, downtime costs bigtime. Over the past 2 years depreciation of the rest of the turbine continued nonetheless. Robb - what, you mean to say that kind of bladeless windturbine technology already exists Down Under? Oh dear... and I thought we had some real innovation going on here. Beaten by those damn Aussies... the shame... unimaginable. Peter. |
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| GWatPE Senior Member Joined: 01/09/2006 Location: AustraliaPosts: 2127 |
Hi dinges, my comment was not about innovation. Money or lack of it was the reason the windmill is like it is. Probably easier to leave the blades OFF, than have wear and tear. Energy is probably not worth enough yet. Hard to compete with nuclear. Gordon. become more energy aware |
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| petanque don Senior Member Joined: 02/08/2006 Location: AustraliaPosts: 212 |
Why not come up with a way to eliminate the tower and wiring? This will enable turbines to be placed in the jet stream where the wind is very reliable and strong. |
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vasi Guru Joined: 23/03/2007 Location: RomaniaPosts: 1697 |
Mean time, dutch designers did the right thing... 
Hobbit name: Togo Toadfoot of Frogmorton Elvish name: Mablung Miriel Beyound Arduino Lang |
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MacGyver Guru Joined: 12/05/2009 Location: United StatesPosts: 1329 |
This is a challenge! I'd have to change my handle, if I didn't at least take a stab at this one . . . stay tuned! 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 |
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Rodin Newbie  Joined: 10/09/2009 Location: AustraliaPosts: 10 |
I think you guys are missing a golden opportunity to gain a Nobel Prize here Its obvious that if you take the new technology bladeless turbines & add blades to them you will double the power ouput thus creating the highest output turbines in the world David Murphy was an Optimist |
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