Tacoma Wind Vortex Turbine

Vortex Bladeless is an alternative and innovative way to harness wind power with a variety of exciting characteristics, making it revolutionary in wind power generation.

CLEAN ENERGY WITH VORTEX

Vortex technology does not use blades, and wind power is generated by vibrations without the use of gears, brakes and oil. Its design makes it a good alternative for a greener generation.

• Low costs
• Harmless to wildlife
• Gears and brakes
• Needs lubrication
• Autonomous and autonomous
• Lightweight, minimal raw material costs
• Fast response to wind changes

Vortex Bladeless is a resonant wind turbine that induces vortex vibration. It harnesses wind energy from a vorticity phenomenon called vortex fallout. Basically, the bladeless technology is a cylinder that is vertically fixed with an elastic rod. The cylinder oscillates in the wind range, which then generates electricity through the alternator system. In other words, it is a wind turbine, which is not really a turbine.

Vortex wind generators are more similar in performance and cost-effectiveness to solar panels than conventional wind turbines.

STRUCTURE AND GEOMETRY

The outer cylinder has great rigidity and the ability to vibrate while remaining attached to the lower bar. The top of the cylinder is free and has the maximum vibration amplitude. The structure is built using carbon and / or fiberglass reinforced resins, materials used in conventional wind turbine blades.

The top of the boom supports the mast and the bottom is firmly anchored to the ground. It is made of a carbon fiber reinforced polymer that provides high fatigue strength and minimal vibration energy leakage.

Naturally, the design of such a wind turbine is very different from the traditional one. Instead of the usual tower, gondola and blades, our device has only a mast made of light materials above the base. This reduces the use of raw materials and the need for a deeper foundation.

Vortex turbine design - ENERGY CONVERSION

Our bladeless wind turbine captures wind energy through a resonance phenomenon created by an aerodynamic effect called vortex separation. In fluid mechanics, when wind passes through a blunt body, the flow changes and generates a cyclical vortex pattern. As soon as the frequency of these forces becomes close enough to the structural frequency of the body, the body begins to oscillate and enters into resonance with the wind. This is also known as vortex induced vibration (VIV).

This VIV phenomenon is commonly avoided in civil engineering, aeronautics and architecture. In contrast, Vortex turbines maximize this aerodynamic instability and wind turbulence by capturing this energy.

Vortex mast geometry is specially designed for maximum performance at average observed wind speeds. It can adapt very quickly to changes in wind direction and turbulent air currents that are commonly seen in urban environments.

The disturbance of the downstream wind flow is the reason why conventional turbines need to be installed far from each other. This does not affect bladeless wind turbines, and any "wake effect" limitations are removed. In addition, we expect Vortex devices to work better together giving each other feedback if there is enough free space around them, which is estimated to be half the total height of the device. For conventional wind turbines, this free space is typically five times the overall height of the unit.

GENERATOR VORTEX

Vortex currently generates electricity through an alternator system of coils and magnets, adapted to the dynamics of the vortex, without gears, shafts or any rotating parts. Our Vortex generator is currently considered a "small wind turbine".

Generators are a well-known technology, although the Vortex way of using it is innovative and patented. This design reduces maintenance and eliminates the need for lubrication.

• Wind generator design
• Fixed part of the stator
• Moving part of the generator
• Stator support

Frequency setting

The frequency of the appearance of the Vortex is proportional to the speed of the wind flow, but each structure has its own vibration frequency. To match the wind frequency with the natural frequency of the device, you must change body mass (the more mass, the lower the natural frequency) and stiffness (the more stiffness, the higher the frequency), among other parameters. Therefore, you need complex mechanisms to change the natural frequency of this device.

To avoid this, the Vortex design instead uses a permanent magnet magnetic confinement system that increases and the apparent rigidity of the system in accordance with the degree of bending. The degree of flexion increases as the wind increases. We call this the “customization system”.

As a result, the patented Vortex self-synchronization system allows a wider range of wind speeds to be recorded effortlessly, with a cutoff point of approximately 3 m / s (initial speed). It can automatically change the stiffness and "synchronize" with the speed of the incoming wind to remain in resonance without any mechanical or manual interference. Thus, the capture range of the air generator is increased.

Key Features - MATERIALS AND SERVICE LIFE

Modern wind turbine technology has to support very different load levels at varying wind speeds, which places high mechanical demands on transmission components such as gears, bearings, bushings or brakes. Several moving parts constantly wear out, resulting in high maintenance costs.

Bladeless wind turbines completely eliminate mechanical elements that can wear out due to friction. The main materials used to make Vortex turbines are carbon fiber polymers, plastics, steel, neodymium and copper. The operating limits of these materials are far from Vortex operating standards.

GENERATION POWER

When converting wind power, the power generation is proportional to the wind turbine's operating area. Vortex currently sweeps up to 30% of the working area of ​​a conventional 3-blade wind turbine of the same height.

As a result, in general, Vortex wind power can be said to be less energy efficient than conventional horizontal axis wind turbines. On the other hand, a smaller footprint allows more bladeless turbines to be installed on the same surface area, offsetting energy efficiency with space savings in a cheaper way.

The estimated output power of the Vortex Tacoma (2.75 m) after commercialization is 100 W.