Articles in the Vertical Wind Generator Category
Posted in Vertical Wind Generator, Wind Turbine on 28 February 2010
Vertical Turbine Generators (VAWTs) are a type of wind turbine generator that has the primary rotor shaft aligned in a vertical position. Using a vertical axis, both gearbox and generator can be situated at the ground; towers are not needed any more for mounting and are easy for maintenance. Drag might be produced when the blades oscillates into the wind.
Subtypes of Vertical Turbine Generators
- Darrieus wind generator – (Egg beater model) has good proficiency but is unreliable due to huge amount of torque surge and cyclic stress it produces on each tower. Also requires external power to start up.
- Giromill – a variation of the Darrieus turbine; it has straight blades, rather than curved ones. This model produces variable pitch which creates less torque throb and is self-out setting. The upper hand of variable pitch is: dynamic operation in fierce winds, high starting torque, less blade velocity proportion, high coefficient of performance. Straight V blades or curved ones can be used.
- Savonius wind generator – drag type model with two or numerous scoops that are serviced in anemometers. The turbine is self out-setting whenever there are three or more scoops. Sometimes, elongated helical scoops give the turbine smooth torque.
Advantages of VAWT
- The turbine designed to be used at ground level and uses less towers; more accessible of maintenance.
- Can be built on locations where towering buildings are not allowed and be in favor of hilltops, mesas and ridgelines.
- VAWT has decreased sound signature compared to other type of turbine.
- VAWT has lower start-up speed.
Posted in Micro Wind Generator, Solar Panel, Vertical Wind Generator, Wind Generator, Wind Turbine on 6 February 2010
Vertical Axis Wind Generator or Vertical Axis Wind Turbine (VAWT) is a type of wind turbine that has its rotor shaft position vertically. VAWTs do not need for towers because of this arrangement; generator and gear box are placed near ground level, which is more accessible for maintenance. VAWTs can also utilize wind from any directions. Drawbacks of VAWTs are some design produce pulsating pulse, affects reliability. Wind speeds are more slower at near ground level, so less energy is available to be harnessed by the turbine. Air flow near ground level and other objects can produce turbulent flow, which creates vibration, noise, and bearing wear which lowers reliability of the turbine. However when mounted on top of buildings, this can double the speed as the building redirects wind over the roof.
VAWT advantages:
- A large tower is less generally needed, VAWTs has mounted near ground level and roof tops.
- Models without yaw apparatus are plausible with secured pitch rotor concepts.
- VAWTs are located near ground level, which is more accessible for maintenance.
- VAWTs have lesser startup wind speeds. They can start generating electrical energy at around 6 mp/h (or 10 km/hr)
- VAWTs can be erected at locations where taller structures are not allowed.
- VAWTs tend to create lower noise.
VAWT disadvantages:
- VAWT are less efficient compared to the other type of wind turbine, because of further drag that is created when the blades rotate.
- VAWTs uses guy-wire to secure it, this places strain on the base bearing because the entire mass is on the bearing.
Posted in Micro Wind Generator, Vertical Wind Generator, Wind Generator, Wind Turbine on 31 January 2010
Due to declining natural resources such as fuel, people resort to alternative renewable energy resources. Wind power is one of the cleanest and most efficient alternative energy resources. Wind generators for residencial use are available commercially. They vary in size, model, price and output. All wind generators operates on the principle of using the kinetic energy of the wind, converting to mechanical energy and converting it to useful electrical energy.
Wind generators can save up to 50%-90% on electrical bill depending on several factors such as wind speed and generation output. Homes in United States use about 9,400 kilowatts-hour (kWh) of electricity per year. Depending on average wind speed in the area, a suitable wind turbine would be rated at the range of 5 to 15 kilowatts in order to make enough contribution to meet up the demand.
In buying a wind generator for home use, location is important; not suitable in urban and suburban area, an open area is required; wind generator is relatively a large device and a tower is needed. Also electricity price should be at least 10 cents/kWh. Wind speed is also important, recommended wind speed should not be below 7 to 15 mph.
Price range for wind generator is around $6,000 to $20,000 or more depending on model, size, output and service agreement by the manufacturer. Self installation is cheaper than manufacturer based installation providing you have knowledge on wind generator installation, however manufacturer installed are more hassle free and comes with support after the installation.
Posted in Vertical Wind Generator on 13 December 2009
Although it certainly has its advantages, the turbine also has its disadvantages. Some of the disadvantages are that it is not an easy task to mount vertical axis turbines onto towers, because of this they normally have to operate slower and get the turbulent air flow close to the ground, which results in a less efficient energy extraction.
They only produce roughly 50% of the energy that a horizontal wind generator produces. They also have to be installed on a flat piece of land nothing steep and although steepness of an area might be a problem for a vertical wind generator, that is not a problem for a horizontal wind power generator.
However, like I said before it is not all negative there are also many advantages. Some of these include that seeing how the rotor blades are vertical, you do not have to have a yaw device so this reduces the need for a bearing and its cost. Vertical wind power generators can be at lower heights which can be useful when having to deal with laws that have certain height restrictions to them. Finally, smaller vertical wind generators are much easier to transport.
By: Munya Chinongoza
About the Author:
If you need more information on Vertical Axis Wind Generators, please visit our website:www.WindGeneratorsToday.com
Posted in Micro Wind Generator, Vertical Wind Generator, Wind Generator on 12 November 2009
Wind Powered Generators is a rotating machine that is able to convert kinetic energy from the wind into mechanical energy and then is converted to electrical energy. The first wind powered generator in the United States was erected in Cleveland with the assistance of Charles F. Brush (1888). By the World War I period, American windmill creators were producing around more than one hundred thousand windmills for farms each year, commonly for H2O siphoning.
Wind Powered Turbines must be installed in places with high constant wind speeds. With a wind commodity judgment, total quantity of power produced from the wind turbine can be properly assessed. A yardstick is occasionally used to establish the prime place is referred as Wind Power Density. Its calculation is derived relating to the practical potential of wind at a precise place, occasionally asserted in expressions of height above ground level over a measure of time, and accounts wind speed and wind mass.
There are several criticisms of Wind Powered Generators. Wind power is generally considered as intermittent power source. The energy production may decrease or increase over a short period of time without warning. High quality wind areas are mostly inhospitable to people, logistics and transmission of power can create problems to installations. Wind turbines affect local wild life to a smaller extent. Less than 10,000 birds are killed by wind turbines. It also pose hazards to bats, however is less likely threatening than house glass or house cats in terms of magnitude and gravity of danger. Wind power generators have much more favorable life cycle imparts than other conventional energy generation technology.
Posted in Vertical Wind Generator, Wind Gen, Wind Generator on 20 March 2009
Do you know that there is another type of wind power machine? This is known as the Vertical Axis Wind Turbine or VAWT. This machine is uniquely designed so that it can be linked to a flat surface, roof or stand on its own through a platform. The location is not important for as long as there is a flat surface, you should be able to attach the VAWT to it.
There are many advantages when using the Vertical Wind Generator. First of all, you can place this generator very close to the ground and you do not need a tower to support it. In addition, you do not have to point this where there is wind. It will still work.
If there are good points, there are downsides to it as well such as difficulty involved in mounting the VAWT onto towers. Due to this flaw, this generator work slower and requires wind flow closer to the ground this leads to reduced energy production. In reality, the VAWT can only product 50% of the power that the standard wind generator can produce. It is not possible to install this type of generator in any steep area.
Now, that you are aware of the negative and positive effects of using the Vertical Wind Generator. You can decide for yourself if this is the type of wind generator that you need or you will require in order to produce alternative power source for your house that can reduce your monthly electricity bill.