‘Skybrator’ Vibrating Wind Turbine Is Producing Clean Energy
Nicknamed ‘the Skybrator’ by the internet, a bladeless wind turbine has been designed to generate energy from its vibrations alone.
[Apr. 5, 2021: Doloresz Katanich]
Nicknamed 'the Skybrator' by the internet, a bladeless wind turbine has been designed to generate energy from its vibrations alone.
Global wind power growth must triple over the next decade to achieve carbon neutrality, says the UN. But traditional wind turbines are struggling to meaningfully contribute to this goal.
They are widely criticised for being expensive, noisy and harming wildlife. However, the majority of these problems come down to the traditional windmill design that is dating back to the ninth century.
Spanish start-up Vortex Bladeless has decided to break with this tradition. The company came up with a bladeless design, which they call an environmentally friendly aerogenerator. The technology harnesses energy from the wind through oscillation.
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The device generates energy on-site and can serve as a complementary source of renewal energy along with solar panels, for instance, in residential areas.
THE BIGGER THE BETTER
While different sizes are under development and being tested, for the performance, the bigger, the better, Jorge Piñero from Vortex Bladeless tells Euronews Living. "Power grows exponentially with the size of the device. A Vortex Tacoma of 2.75m high could be powering a fridge, many phones and some led lights for an off-grid house."
As no blades are needed, the turbine comes with relatively low maintenance and a low level of noise. Also, it requires no oil or any other lubricant as opposed to traditional wind turbines.
Plus, it means no harm to birds - an important feature when you consider that hundreds of thousands are estimated to die each year after crashing into wind turbines. Although this figure is still lower than the number of birds killed by fossil fuel stations.
WHAT DOES THE COMPANY HAVE TO SAY TO PEOPLE CALLING THEIR PRODUCT 'SKYBRATOR'?
"Well, we engineers tend to be serious about this, but it is indeed funny and not harmful," says Piñero. "People can joke if they want as long as they remember that this is a scientific project with many professionals and organizations behind working very hard and with passion."
For more science and technology news stories check out our New Innovations section at The Brighter Side of News.
Note: Materials provided above by Doloresz Katanich. Content may be edited for style and length.
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