2 ms·
If I look at http://sheerwind.com/technology/field-data http://sheerwind.com/technology/field-data it seems to me the 600% improvement is highly deceptive: that
by brazzy 13y ago
If I look at http://sheerwind.com/technology/field-data http://sheerwind.com/technology/field-data it seems to me the 600% improvement is highly deceptive: that huge funnel tower gives up to 600% (average 300%) more output than the same tiny turbine inside it when it's just placed on top of a pole.
If you want to use this technology to boost the output of a modern 100m diameter turbine by 300%, you'd need to build a funnel tower that's over 1km high. I kinda doubt that's cheapter than building three of those turbines.
- Alex_MJ 13y agoAlso, the longer tube you build the less effective the system becomes because the pressure at the top has to move the entire column of [viscous, turbulent] air down the pipe. I haven't done any math on this but I'd imagine it would not take that much height to hit a point at which point piping losses become overwhelmingly large in proportion to the energy you're producing. The turbine and the inlet need to be close together.
- Gurkenglas 13y agoMaybe by "the same turbine" they mean the generator at the center, having swapped out the short blades shown on their site for a traditional set.
- brazzy 13y agoDoesn't look like it, neither in the photo nor the comparison table. Besides, I doubt that it's even built to allow that.