4 ms·

They face more turbulence and greater stresses, and less efficient combined with being more expensive from the start. Efficiency in price per kwH is more impor

They face more turbulence and greater stresses, and less efficient combined with being more expensive from the start. Efficiency in price per kwH is more important and big turbines have claimed their crown here. Given that stresses are behind size limits the strategy is clear here.

juststeve 5y ago
what about vertical turbines in the water & bolted to the sea floor?
- p_l 5y ago
  Doesn't change a thing on how stresses damage the turbine. Vertical still only makes sense in limited space.
  - Clewza313 5y ago
    Interestingly, vertical designs have been proposed for Mars, because space for shipping them is at a serious premium, and the much lower atmospheric density reduces the stress considerably. (Hollywood depictions of destructive Martian sandstorms are quite exaggerated for effect.)
    - p_l 5y ago
      Mars is a good example of differing constraints leading to choice of different technologies, indeed.
  - juststeve 5y ago
    what are the stressors? mechanical failure, too much kinetic energy in the waves?
    - opwieurposiu 5y ago
      The pole in the center of the VAT generates a turbulent wake that the blades pass through once every rotation. This wake shakes the blade and causes extra stress. The blades themselves make a wake also, though not as much as the pole. The horizontal turbines put the pole behind the blades. The pole does make a bow wave, but it is not as bad as the VAT wake. The pole/blade interaction is not as severe.
      - juststeve 5y ago
        thank you
- ggm 5y ago
  All engineering at sea costs more. Seabed anchoring is a thing, and a higher degree of wind offshore is a thing, but if you do the linear optimisation of the different cost benefit lines I suspect scaling up traditional fan style 3 blades just wins. It's a "perfect is the enemy of good enough" thing. Better designs along one axis with a multi axis problem won't be best overall.
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]

juststeve 5y ago

what about vertical turbines in the water & bolted to the sea floor?

p_l 5y ago
Doesn't change a thing on how stresses damage the turbine. Vertical still only makes sense in limited space.
- Clewza313 5y ago
  Interestingly, vertical designs have been proposed for Mars, because space for shipping them is at a serious premium, and the much lower atmospheric density reduces the stress considerably. (Hollywood depictions of destructive Martian sandstorms are quite exaggerated for effect.)
  - p_l 5y ago
    Mars is a good example of differing constraints leading to choice of different technologies, indeed.
- juststeve 5y ago
  what are the stressors? mechanical failure, too much kinetic energy in the waves?
  - opwieurposiu 5y ago
    The pole in the center of the VAT generates a turbulent wake that the blades pass through once every rotation. This wake shakes the blade and causes extra stress. The blades themselves make a wake also, though not as much as the pole. The horizontal turbines put the pole behind the blades. The pole does make a bow wave, but it is not as bad as the VAT wake. The pole/blade interaction is not as severe.
    - juststeve 5y ago
      thank you
ggm 5y ago
All engineering at sea costs more. Seabed anchoring is a thing, and a higher degree of wind offshore is a thing, but if you do the linear optimisation of the different cost benefit lines I suspect scaling up traditional fan style 3 blades just wins. It's a "perfect is the enemy of good enough" thing. Better designs along one axis with a multi axis problem won't be best overall.
deleted 5y ago
[deleted]