No rotor blades: Spain is building the next generation of wind power plants!
A new type of turbine could replace the traditional design of wind turbines. The special thing about it: The wind turbines work without rotor blades and instead generate energy through vibrations.
According to the United Nations, global growth in wind energy must triple in the next ten years in order to achieve climate neutrality. However, traditional wind turbines have struggled to make a significant contribution to this goal. They are widely criticized for being expensive, noisy and harmful to wildlife. However, most of these problems stem from the traditional design of windmills. A new type of turbine could solve this problem. The Vortex Bladeless, a product of the Spanish start-up of the same name, are wind turbines without any rotor blades. They generate energy through vibrations.
Vortex Bladeless refers to the innovative bladeless design as an ecological wind turbine. The technology uses the energy of the wind through vibrations – without gears, brakes or oil. The phallus-like constructions stand in the wind and sway back and forth. This principle is called aeroelastic resonance. Vortex Bladeless co-founder David Yáñez became aware of this principle after coming across an old footage of the Tacoma-Narrows Bridge collapse. After it collapsed in 1940, dynamics were taken into account when designing bridges and models were tested in the wind tunnel. The vibrations caused by the wind can also be used constructively. After all, this is energy that can be converted into electricity with a Vortex Bladeless via a generator.
The wind power posts without rotors should not only be very environmentally friendly, but also make no noise and pose no danger to birds or other animals. In addition, electricity can be generated on site with such a system. This means that it can also be used in the middle of residential areas and can also serve as a supplement to alternative forms of energy such as solar panels. Another possible location where conventional wind turbines cannot be erected would be on the edge of freeways to use the wind.
However, it is questionable whether the idea will be accepted. The Spaniards have been working on the implementation of their idea for several years. A twelve meter high variant was planned, which can deliver four kilowatt hours. A second, even larger model should even create a megawatt. So far, the company has only constructed a 2.75 meter high pilot plant.