Jan 15 2008
When someone mentions "wind energy," what usually come to mind are the fields of giant utility-grade wind turbines located off the coasts of many countries and on mountain tops everywhere, and small residential-grade windmill-style turbines designed for personal use.
Both markets are experiencing rapid growth as the cost of fossil-based energy increases and competition for the raw supply of world oil becomes more intense. But, says Alternative Energy Consultant Dennis A. Murray, founder and lead consultant of Go Green Energy LLC, the largest potential beneficiary of wind turbines - the industrial sector - has largely been overlooked.
"That is about to change with the development of a new class of Vertical Axis Wind Turbines," Murray said. "Compact and tubular in shape, these new VAWT designs can produce up to 10KW in normal wind environments and even in exceptionally high wind conditions where all other turbines fail. Their rugged design and unique form factor allows them to go where conventional wind turbines cannot."
A white paper authored by Murray describing these new turbines and their many commercial markets is now available at www.gogreenenergyllc.com.
Shaped like an open-sided oil drum on a short pole, these new VAWT designs rotate silently, catch the wind from any direction, present no danger to people, animals or the environment, and produce up to 10 KW of clean, renewable energy in Class 3 wind. To reduce or eliminate the need for service the designs have as few as two moving parts and uniquely, they can operate vertically as well as horizontally depending on the application.
"It's the combination of a compact, cylindrical form factor, high output, and ruggedness that gives this class of wind turbines a decisive advantage in the developing industrial sector of the wind energy market," Murray said.
Some of the many applications for these vertical, "cylindrical" turbines include:
- Tall Bridge Lighting Systems
- Oil Platform Auxiliary Power
- Auxiliary and Emergency Power for Ships
- Communications Towers and Control Sheds
All of these applications are located in high wind areas and each is subject to physical restrictions that prohibit the use of conventional 3-bladed turbines. And, each represents an enormous opportunity for the small wind industry, according to Murray.