A close-up the Energy Ball at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam. Credit: Home Energy
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh. That’s the constant, rhythmic, monotonous sound of a typical wind turbine and it drives some people living nearby absolutely crazy. The noise results from the huge blades on standard wind turbines that generate most of their turning force at the tips. Those tips slice perpendicularly through the air and create the characteristic whooshing sound.
A smaller, quieter turbine is on the way. Designed for residential applications by Netherlands-based company Home Energy, the Energy Ball moves primarily parallel to the wind because the rotors are bent around in a circular shape. Although it looks similar to the Darrieus wind turbine, which has been around for about 80 years, the Energy Ball operates on a horizontal axis, not a vertical one as the Darrieus does, and employs the Venturi effect to constrict the wind. As the rotors turn, pressure drops inside the ball and air rushes in to fill the void and helps keep the rotor blades spinning.
Energy Balls can be mounted on rooftops, as TV antennas or satellite dishes are, or placed atop poles that run along streets and roads as electric power lines currently do. Each ball can supply up to 1,750 kilowatt-hours of electricity per year and are 40 percent more efficient than a propeller-style turbine of the same diameter.
The Energy Balls will be manufactured in McKinney, Texas, by VAWT Manufacturing, Inc. and should cost from $3,500 to $7,000, excluding installation. The company hopes to begin production by the end of this year.
hm... good one
Outstanding web site:) Will definitely visit again...
Super article: i will definitely visit again...