Aside from the technological advances and developments brought about by the digital age, the core principles and techniques used to harness energy from the wind have remained relatively the same for centuries. A turbine generates electricity by rotating its blades as the wind passes. The wind spins its generators, generating energy.
However, a company called Vortex Bladeless is daring to break the mold by developing the world’s first bladeless turbines. The company claims its Vortex devices and bladeless technology can generate wind energy from vibrations alone without rotating blades.
A Brief History Of Wind Turbines
Although the modern turbine is an impressively complex structure that transforms mechanical energy into electricity, the turbines or windmills of the past used to be much simpler and performed more manageable tasks.
One of the earliest developments in windmill technology took place in the 9th century AD, when panemone windmills, or windmills with sails revolving in a horizontal plane, became popular in central Persia. These early windmills processed grain or drew water, with six to twelve sails covered with reeds.
It was only in the nineteenth century that windmills generated electricity. In 1887, Scottish engineer and physicist James Blyth created a 10-meter-high turbine that can use the wind’s kinetic energy and the mechanical energy converted from it to power his Marykirk home. This was soon followed by the Charles Brush wind turbine in the United States.
Today, wind power is the leading source of clean energy, and its rapid growth has many advantages. In 2020, wind turbines contributed over 5 percent of the world’s electrical generation and about two percent of the global energy consumption.
As with any invention, there is still plenty of room for mechanical and technological improvement as some of the various downsides of traditional wind turbines are yet to be addressed. Luckily, the Spanish company Vortex Bladeless, and its founder David Yáñez, are looking to resolve these issues by developing a novel and revolutionary bladeless wind turbine.
Vortex Nano: The World’s First Bladeless Turbine
David Yáñez is the inventor of the Vortex Bladeless wind turbine. Yáñez got the idea for his prototype from a 1940 film of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge that showcased the suspension bridge twisting as the wind passed.
Surprisingly, the bridge shown in the film collapsed in the same year. An idea struck Yáñez; he thought that he could take advantage of the immense energy from the wind that was able to dismantle an entire steel suspension bridge.
David created patents in 2002 for effectively bladeless wind turbines, which would oscillate to generate power silently while keeping a more discrete aesthetic profile than conventional wind turbines. The cylindrical structure is connected to a fixed base and may oscillate with just a breeze.
Regarding supporting the commercial development of their product in the U.S., Vortex Bladeless has launched a public funding campaign on Indiegogo. The company started working on its design in 2010 and has already raised $1 million from private investors and government funding in Spain. Their initial goal of $50,000 raised more than $55,209 in just 12 days.
As of today, Vortex Bladeless Wind Turbines are still in their infancy and are yet to progress past their prototype stage.
Vortex Bladeless’s current prototypes of its 3-meter-tall bladeless wind turbines are arc-topped cylindrical devices secured vertically by an elastic rod. These turbines, which operators would install within a wind range, harness wind power through oscillation without using oil or fuel. The bladeless turbines are an excellent choice for clean and reliable on-site energy generation.
The Vortex Bladeless team lists several benefits of its ground-breaking wind energy solution. Among these are its ability to reduce costs and its relatively low-maintenance structure. Engineers at Vortex Bladeless anticipate a 53 percent reduction in manufacturing costs and a 51 percent reduction in operating costs compared to conventional wind turbines with the company’s Vortex generators.
The Disadvantages Of Conventional Wind Turbines
Although the drawbacks of traditional turbines may seem insignificant, they still need to be dealt with if wind and solar power become the primary replacements for conventional energy sources. Here are some of the disadvantages of wind turbines that Vortex Blades wind turbines could resolve:
Moving Parts Wear Out Over Time
Wind turbine blades are particularly prone to damage. As a moving component, these blades wear due to high fatigue levels and friction. They are also susceptible to damage from birds and other objects that may strike them.
The wind turbines’ design is to blame for their brief lifespan. The lifespan of a wind turbine is typically 20 to 25 years, and due to the extreme stresses they sustain, they are unlikely to last much longer than this.
Since the turbine blades are permanently affixed to the tower at one end, they receive the entire wind force. They are, therefore, vulnerable to various damages.
As the wind speed rises, the loads these turbines carry also increase, reaching 100 times greater than the design loads at the rated wind speed. Because of this, most wind turbines shut down to protect themselves when faced with higher wind speeds.
Vortex turbines do not have this problem as they no longer have rotating blades. Meaning they are less susceptible to damage and wear caused by friction, debris, or wildlife.
Conventional Turbines Cause Visual And Noise Pollution
Although most farms are located in sparsely populated rural areas, the noise and aesthetics of traditional wind turbines can still pose a problem to a city or town’s inhabitants. Some people living near wind plants may find turbines excessively loud and unattractive.
Many people have conflicting opinions on the aesthetics of wind turbines. While most people appreciate their sleek, modern style, others do not.
Wind farms are quieter than other industrial spaces, such as manufacturing plants. However, most of these facilities are found in urban rather than rural settings, meaning they are much less noticeable due to city background noise.
The “whooshing” sound of wind turbines is known as broadband noise. As the turbine blades run against air turbulence, they emit broadband noise.
Some wind turbines also produce tonal humming noises, especially the older models. These noises result from the turbine’s mechanical parts and unusual winds interacting.
However, as the Vortex Nano’s bladeless design only has a few visible moving parts, they do not emit much noise. They are not as visually noticeable as wind turbines with rotating blades.
Conventional Turbines Can Have A Negative Environmental Impact
Wind turbines cause many bird and bat deaths worldwide. In just the United States, spinning turbine blades kill over a million birds per year.
When bats fly too close to a wind turbine, a condition known as barotrauma results in their death. Barotrauma is an air pressure drop from the turbine’s blades spinning. A bat may die from lung damage due to abrupt pressure loss.
For instance, according to the Biological Conservation journal, the Hoary bat, a species found in North America, may go extinct due to mortality from wind farms. Bats, like some birds, have a limited capacity for reproduction, necessitating high adult survival rates to maintain their population.
Additionally, wind farms can adversely affect the surrounding wildlife populations. For example, the development of wind farms may cause habitat degradation, driving species from their native homes.
Wind power facilities must be strategically located to safeguard wildlife and their habitat for wind energy to be a viable renewable energy source.
As the Vortex design of the company’s turbines has eliminated the need for rotating blades, wind farm operators can now indirectly generate energy without harming birds, bats, and other wildlife.
The Future Of Wind Energy
Although Vortex Bladeless has not released any of its products to the public, it has already taken the first step toward revolutionizing wind energy. Wind power would be one step closer to becoming mainstream if they succeed in developing the world’s first bladeless turbine.
Of course, there have been other examples of cutting-edge new turbine technology in recent years. With its Wind Tree concept, the French company New Wind introduced a ground-breaking idea earlier this year. A single Wind Tree, which is just 11 meters tall and resembles a natural tree. The Wind Tree is home to 72 vertical-axis micro-turbines that use softer winds to produce electricity.
The New York-based design studio Atelier DNA also put forth the innovative Wind Stalk idea in 2010. The concept entails 203 carbon-fiber stalks anchored to a concrete base and 55 meters high, designed for deployment in the UAE’s Masdar City project. The stalks move as the wind blows, which triggers the turbines to produce electricity.
These kinds of developments are fueling a revolution in wind energy. According to a 2014 Department of Energy estimate, up to 35% of U.S. electricity output could come from wind power by 2050. Greenpeace International and the Global Wind Energy Council provided an even more optimistic assessment, publishing a paper in 2014 that predicted wind energy may supply up to 25% to 30% of the world’s electrical needs by 2050.
The wind power sector can supply most of the world’s electricity with consistent support, bringing clean energy, jobs, and a better environment. Numerous countries already use wind energy. As energy storage technology advances, it might become even more common.