| By :
Roger Brown
The primary goal of wind turbine design has always been to make the blades turn in such light wind, that they can be economically installed in very low wind conditions, on virtually any roof in the world. The search for a way to make wind energy a universally economically one-size-fits-all solution has been elusive. Here are the 3 big problems wind turbine blade designers are encountering: 1. Overcoming design limitations in very low wind conditions (less than 5 mph.) If blades could be made aerodynamically efficient and very light weight, then they would theoretically work in almost any wind conditions. 2. The lighter and longer you make the blades they still need some wind to turn them. Emulating the wing attributes of a glider is not a conceptually bad place to start. The longer the blades though, the lighter the material needs to be. 3. Community/Neighborhood perception of aesthetics. The longer the blades are, the more efficient but communities don't approve of the look of very long turbine blades. Large wind turbine design firms and manufacturers are taking advantage of government grants to try and solve these problems. The first company that addresses the efficiency issue in the context of aesthetics will have an enormous market waiting for them. What about cutting-edge materials for use wind turbine blades? So called, composite materials address the weight issue and make it easier to get greater rotation in minimal wind conditions. In some recent developments in wind turbine design, researchers have elongated wind generator blades to 3 or more times the length of typical current models. However, there are a number of variables that can foil results - air density being one of the biggest culprits. Even if you design a system that will perform exceptionally well in one type of air density, does not mean it will work equally well in a less dense atmosphere. As an aside, one aspect of residential architecture has really worked against solar and wind development in the U.S. In the past, of course, little thought was given as to how houses should be situated relative to the sun and wind. When many of the houses were built in the last generation, it was thought that a nuclear age would bring on virtually free power. Again, keep in mind with the current Wind Tax Credit of 30%, the timing is right for home wind technology investments. Now, we are trying to engineer around that orientation with energy systems that will harvest the maximum amount of wind and sunlight. The great thing is there is a lot of money being spent right now to optimize wind turbine design. Furthermore, there are Wind Tax Credits of 30% and other government incentives to make the move to wind power and that will inevitably improve blade technology and make wind turbines more efficient and more universally acceptable as a means of power generation all over the world.
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