Wind Energy Capture - All methods in one topic

tahanson43206 · 2024-01-29 08:53:00

SpaceNut, we did not have a topic with a title containing all three words "wind" "energy" and "capture"

We have many topics that are about various kinds of wind devices.

This topic is available for NewMars members who might wish to create posts that point to particular wind energy capture ideas they found in the archive, or which they are adding to the collection in another topic.

The kinds of wind energy capture devices that may come up for discussion include sails through propellers to advanced technology that has not yet been invented.

This topic is available for all of them.

If a NewMars member creates a post in this topic, please include a link to the post of interest and a brief text description of what the post is about.

This topic can also be used to hold a post about a wind energy capture device that is not already present elsewhere in the forum.

(th)

tahanson43206 · 2024-01-29 09:05:17

Recently, kbd512 launched an inquiry about the possibility of using a wind energy capture device to deliver power to a location some distance away through mechanical transmission using a working fluid such as water.

Calliban then provided support for this idea, and suggested various fluids that might be alternatives to water.

Kbd512 then clarified that he meant a "vertical" wind energy capture device. Vertical wind energy capture devices have been built, but the vast majority of wind energy capture devices feature propeller blades rotating around a horizontal shaft that faces into the wind. The vast majority of these existing devices include an electric generator in a nacelle at the top of a tower, so that power is transmitted by the "fluid" of electrons moving through wires to remote locations.

In thinking about the failure of a large vertical wind turbine in Canada, due to failure of a single bearing that was carrying the entire weight of the system, it occurred to me that magnetic bearings (such as those patented by John Barber a number of years ago) would be able to support a wind energy capture device if enough of them were assembled for the purpose.

And ** that ** thought combined with an old idea ... use of sailboat sails to capture wind energy for production of power, instead of for propulsion of a vessel.

Mr. Barber's magnetic bearings would seem well suited for a wind energy capture system based upon vertical sails rotating around a central pivot.

In another topic, there is a report of a wind energy capture system (Airloom) that employs vertical sails made of metal. In that system, the metal sails run on a track that is held above the ground on towers. I'm unsure of the details of the design, but I ** think ** each sail is attached to a mechanical cable that delivers power to a single generator on the ring that creates a flow of electrons that is fed to a central location, or perhaps to the local electric grid.

A system based upon "sailboats" that are pivoting around a central pivot point would draw power at the central pivot point.

SearchTerm:sailboat wind energy collection system using magnetic bearings

(th)

GW Johnson · 2024-01-29 09:20:25

Just for a basis of comparison, the old-time farm windmill had a many-bladed disk turning a gearbox that doubled as a swivel mount. That gear box had a crank for its output, connected to a vertical rod inside the windmill tower that moved up and down through a modest stroke. The usual function was to pump water from a well to keep a water tank full. So the rod moving up and down operated the well pump.

The wind mill blades were flat sheet metal, rarely if ever cambered, and with as-cut edges. These are rather inefficient airfoils that easily stall. The typical Chicago Aermotor will make usual pumping power in winds as low as 2 or 3 mph, and will survive all but a direct hit by a tornado. When the wind speed is too high, the blades stall, limiting how fast the blades can turn against the resistance felt by the rod.

The operating range of wind speeds where the thing is efficient is rather narrow, limited by zero to a low stall angle of attack. Increase the stall angle of attack, and that efficient range of speeds broadens, at the risk of generating too much power in higher winds. You increase that stall angle by cambering the metal blades, and especially by folding the metal over at the leading edge to create a rounded edge.

Replace the reciprocating vertical sucker rod with a vertical turning shaft (by changing the gear box), and the thing could drive a stationary electric generator at the base of the windmill tower. Use DC, with min voltage output at min wind speed ~ 2-3 mph, switch the connections to the battery bank it charges, as wind speed increases. It still limits by stalling, just at a higher speed. It also still retains the ability to survive all but a direct hit by a tornado.

What more could you want out of a home wind generator?

GW

Last edited by GW Johnson (2024-01-29 09:21:45)

SpaceNut · 2024-01-29 20:29:20

Self-lubricating bearings are a type of engine bearing that uses a dry lubricant to reduce friction between moving parts. Then we have https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnetic_bearing or Ferrofluid Bearings.

tahanson43206 · 2024-02-14 07:22:49

Our correspondent in Alaska responded to my inquiry about capture of wind energy with a word picture of an Idea he's considered....

This would be on the ** very ** intermittent side, but it is definitely a way to collect wind energy ....

According to our correspondent, trees in Alaska have been observed to sway 40 feet from side to side during a strong storm.

A generator attached (somehow) to the tops of such trees would really zip along.

I am reminded of images I have seen of engineering drawings of "waving Post" wind capture devices. These capture the energy at the base, which moves little but with great power, as the top waves great distances with wind pressure.

(th)

Calliban · 2024-02-14 07:33:14

tahanson43206 wrote:

Our correspondent in Alaska responded to my inquiry about capture of wind energy with a word picture of an Idea he's considered....
This would be on the ** very ** intermittent side, but it is definitely a way to collect wind energy ....
According to our correspondent, trees in Alaska have been observed to sway 40 feet from side to side during a strong storm.
A generator attached (somehow) to the tops of such trees would really zip along.
I am reminded of images I have seen of engineering drawings of "waving Post" wind capture devices. These capture the energy at the base, which moves little but with great power, as the top waves great distances with wind pressure.
(th)

TH, that is a neat idea. At its simplest, we could tie a rope to the trunk of the tree and attach it to a pulley. We can then convert the swaying motion induced by gusts into linear motion. Linear motion can be used to generate power using positive displacement pumps that generate compressed air or pump a hydraulic fluid of some kind.

This is a low impact method of wind power generation that would be easier to impliment in places that have strict planning controls. It is also cheap because we can take advantage of something that nature provides for free. The only downside I can see is that the power available may be modest. We are drawing power from gusts, meaning that a large part of wind energy will be wasted. But that is less of a concern for offgrid applications in areas where people have a lot of space around them and plenty of trees. In a sparsely populated area, absolute efficiency isn't something we have to push so long as people have enough power at an affordable cost.

Last edited by Calliban (2024-02-14 07:39:45)

tahanson43206 · 2024-02-14 08:07:29

For Calliban re #6

Thank you for your encouraging reply! I'll pass it along!

If you have time to draw a sketch of how you would implement the idea, I'd be willing to see what DALL-E or BARD/Image make of it.

I think both AI's would have fun with the forest scenery. They both appear to enjoy being given creative freedom, and both appear to chafe at being asked to focus on specific concepts.

As I think about your idea, in the context of a forest in Alaska, it occurs to me that a ratcheting system might be used to lift a weight up a tall tree in bursts. At the top of the run, the weight would hold until the storm passes, at which point it can be released to turn a pulley with a constant rate. Depending upon the size of the tree and the amount of mass lifted, this might yield some useful current during the descent.

It seems to me that the NewMars forum is one of the few places on Earth (or the Solar System for that matter) where such ideas could occur.

We are venturing into Void-space here!

(th)

SpaceNut · 2024-02-22 18:18:30

Wind farm off the Massachusetts coast begins delivering steady flow of power

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#1 2024-01-29 08:53:00

Wind Energy Capture - All methods in one topic

#2 2024-01-29 09:05:17

Re: Wind Energy Capture - All methods in one topic

#3 2024-01-29 09:20:25

Re: Wind Energy Capture - All methods in one topic

#4 2024-01-29 20:29:20

Re: Wind Energy Capture - All methods in one topic

#5 2024-02-14 07:22:49

Re: Wind Energy Capture - All methods in one topic

#6 2024-02-14 07:33:14

Re: Wind Energy Capture - All methods in one topic

#7 2024-02-14 08:07:29

Re: Wind Energy Capture - All methods in one topic

#8 2024-02-22 18:18:30

Re: Wind Energy Capture - All methods in one topic

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