Wind
Using Superconducting Tape Could Dramatically Lower Wind Turbine Costs
Written by Peter, on November 26, 2018
The EcoSwing project, funded by the European Union,is aiming to demonstrate a dramatically lower cost, lightweight wind turbine drivetrain using superconducting ceramic tape instead of rare earth elements. Read more »
New Turbine Design Captures Wind from Any Direction
Written by Peter, on September 6, 2018
Two MSc students at Lancaster University, have developed a rotating wind turbine which, unlike conventional wind turbines, can take advantage of both horizontal and vertical winds without requiring steering. Read more »
Wind Turbine Mimics a Hummingbird
Written by Peter, on January 6, 2017
A Tunisian startup, Tyer Wind, has developed a “wind converter” which is equipped with flapping wings rather than blades. The action of the wings mimics the motion of hummingbird wings Read more »
Giant Wind Turbine Blades Could Cut Costs
Written by Peter, on February 15, 2016
A research team led by the University of Virginia is developing a low-cost 50 megawatt wind turbine, with 200 metre blades, for use offshore. Read more »
Wind Turbine Stores Energy
Written by Peter, on September 25, 2015
A new technology stores excess wind turbine energy and releases it to drive the turbine when winds drop. Read more »
10 Years of Progress in Renewables
Written by Peter, on June 19, 2015
In its 2015 “Global Status Report”, REN21, the global renewable energy policy network, has summarised the increase in renewable energy capacity in the 10 years from 2004 to 2014. In 2004, global renewable power capacity (excluding hydro) was 85 gigawatts. In 2014, it reached 657 gigawatts. Read more »
Owl Wing Design Could Make Wind Turbines Quieter
Written by Peter, on June 16, 2015
Conservationists are concerned about the effects of the noise of wind turbines on wildlife and some people who live near turbines complain about their noise. Researchers led by Nigel Peake at the University of Cambridge have turned to owls for ideas about how to reduce the noise. Owls are famously silent predators, able to surprise […] Read more »
Cheaper, Silent, Bladeless Wind Turbines
Written by Peter, on May 17, 2015
In 1940, the newly built Tacoma Narrows Bridge began to vibrate violently and soon collapsed in windy conditions. Ever since, engineers have focused on ways of stopping their structures vibrating in this way. Now, a group of Spanish engineers is working to harness the energy potential of vibrating structures. Instead of using the wind to […] Read more »
Airborne Turbine for Remote Sites
Written by Peter, on October 2, 2014
Winds 300 to 600 metres above the ground are, on average 5 to 8 times as strong as those at the surface.
Altaeros, a four-year-old company in Massachusetts, has developed its Buoyant Airborne Turbine (BAT) to take advantage of these stronger, more consistent winds. Read more »
Solar Wind Energy Tower
Written by Peter, on July 22, 2014
Solar Wind Energy Inc has developed a hybrid solar-wind renewable energy technology which uses solar heat to generate wind that turns turbines. Read more »
