Archive for June 28th, 2011
Wind turbine design can actually fall into two basic types which are horizontal and vertical axis turbines. Horizontal wind turbines are the most recognized and the ones that are mostly being used today. Although a vertical wind turbine is not as popular because they are thought of to be less efficient, new designs and models are constantly being produced. One of the basic ideas for vertical wind turbine design is to minimize the noise pollution and potential harm to birds that the horizontal wind turbine is known for.
One vertical wind turbine design is the Darrieus, which is often compared to an egg beater in appearance. It features an airfoil design which uses the lift forces of wind to move, much similar to the wings of an airplane. This design is highly efficient in producing sufficient wind energy to produce electricity, but is not self-starting and needs a motor to generate speed before being able to create significant torque of its own.