WIND POWER BLADE EFFICIENCY UPGRADE

 

Benton F. Baugh, Ph.D., P.E.

 

 

 

Photo by Marc Moskowski

 

 

 

 

 

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:

The presentation of substantial efficiency upgrades to wind energy devices, i.e. quadrupling the output, and small scale test results.

 

The photograph on the opposite column shows a wind farm in Hawaii, probably the only state in the union which has to import 100% of its fossil fuels.  As you can see, they are not generating power and are in need of repair.  It is not clear what the situation is, however, it would tend to teach that wind energy is not actually economic—except as a venture based on government grants.  Once the grant money runs out, they are abandoned.

 

The development of substantially more efficient wind energy can be a key component in U.S. energy independence and a greener environment.   The same would apply for all the world.  Fossil fuels are now and will continue to be critical to civilization as we know it.  Literally when fossil fuels are gone, planes will no longer fly. 

 

Conventional wisdom says to make wind turbines with 2 or 3 blades,  If you want more power you simply make the blades longer.  Blades are now being designed to be as long as a football field.  This increases capacities, but with the following unintended consequences:

1. Substantial cost increases on the blades and the taller towers to support them.

2. The tip speed of the blades is so fast that birds cannot see them, and when in bird migration paths can have a substantial bird kill.

3. It is hard to imagine that you can accelerate the tips of the blades to a speed which makes them invisible and still harvest net energy.  You would get some energy from the tips and you would spend energy to push the tips at  great speeds. 

 

Figure 1 at the right  shows the conventional 3 blades such as would be used on a wind farm.  Occasionally there will be only two blades.  This is what will be considered as the base case.  Upgrades will be compared to this.Next page.