This blog has made much of a new report from the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory that endorsed taller wind turbines, i.e., with 50m blades and a hub height of 80m. NREL researchers say that such turbines increase efficiency by 30%. As an advocate of wind power, I am on the lookout for ways that improve the efficiency and cost effectiveness of such clean energy.
While this blog has mentioned before how airfoils can improve HAWT performance, it has resisted mention of a related turbine strategy* until now when it saw that Department of Energy is funding FloDesign Wind Turbine Corporation of Wilbraham, MA. FloDesign is developing a new shrouded, axial-flow wind turbine.
* Editor’s note: After Gutenberg did have a post before about a concept called FloDesign and responded to a request to remove it.
In comparison with existing HAWTs (Horizontal Axis Wind Turbines), the Mixer Ejector Wind Turbine is capable of delivering more energy per unit swept area with greatly reduced rotor loading.
One Trackback
[...] Mixer Ejector Wind Turbine (jcwinnie.biz) [...]