This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project brings a development of a new non-rotational wind energy conversion that will enable novel wind energy applications in areas where the wind energy currently cannot be used. The technology utilizes novel electrofluidic approaches to develop the wind energy system that can be easily transported and assembled and it will have much lower production and maintenance costs compared to the conventional turbine technology. Wind energy installations are increasing worldwide at a rate exceeding 25%; however wind energy faces potential issues with aesthetics, sound, wildlife issues, shadow flicker and public safety. The current wind turbines are too large, highly visible, difficult to transport, and do not satisfy the need for quick installation of a portable wind energy system for disaster relief, military deployment, or difficult to access wind resources. The proposed technology does not use movable parts in the utilization of wind energy and will open up applications of wind energy in setting that are not conventional used, such as in cities, on bridges, skyscrapers, or large stadiums.
The broader impact/commercial potential of this project is based on the advantages of the proposed non-rotational technology that include efficient operation at lower wind speeds, the system does not require complicated moving parts or its costly maintenance, such as needed in conventional wind turbines. The developed products will open-up new markets both for large wind energy installations as well as home applications. Wind energy is one of the alternative sources that generates electricity without a release of harmful pollutants or gases and is one of the cheapest forms of energy available today. The proposed technology will open-up new markets for wind energy in settings where no electric grid infrastructure exists, such as in some rural farms, as well as it may provide a backup or supplemental energy source in disaster situations. It will enable novel uses of wind energy in high-rise buildings, bridges and/or as portable and transferable energy systems.
that does not utilize moving parts and will provide an alternative to current rotational wind turbine systems. Wind energy installations are increasing worldwide at a rate exceeding 25%, however current wind turbine systems face potential issues with aesthetics, sound, wildlife issues, shadow flicker and public safety. There is an urgent need for new developments in renewable energy from the perspective of using, e.g., wind energy as an alternative energy source in inhabited structures in cities or as a portable energy source. In this project, we propose a development of a new, disruptive technology for non-rotational wind energy production that introduces several entirely new principles in wind energy conversion. These innovative mechanisms for harvesting wind energy can be used separately or together to achieve efficient non-rotational wind energy production in varying wind conditions. The overall objective of this project was to investigate fundamental aspects of these mechanisms and achieve enhanced efficiency of wind energy conversion in simple system prototypes. The project successfully demonstrated the feasibility of the basic principles and provided design and fabrication of first test systems for non-rotational wind energy conversion. The new fundament principles discovered in energy wind conversion will have a broad impact on new knowledge and fundamental understanding of innovative ways of wind energy conversion. It will trigger further inventions in the discovery of non-rotational wind energy conversion and will provide new teachings of its fundamental principles. We foresee that this new wind energy system will introduce new applications for wind energy including small systems in populated areas, in areas where wind speed is low, or as portable systems that can be used in disaster situations. The proposed system will be easily transported, assembled and will have much lower production and maintenance costs compared to conventional turbine technology. The proposed non-rotational wind technology could find its applications both in large wind energy installations as well as residential market applications. Wind energy is one of the alternative sources that generates electricity without release of harmful pollutants or gases and is one of the cheapest forms of energy available today. The proposed technology will open-up new markets for wind energy in settings where no electric grid infrastructure exists, such as in some rural farms, as well as it may provide a backup or supplemental energy source in disaster situations. Wind energy based on large wind turbine installations has its limitations, in particular with respect to its utilization at lower wind speeds and it requires expensive maintenance. The proposed non-rotational wind energy will enable novel uses of wind energy at much lower wind speeds and in high-rise buildings, bridges and/or as portable and transferable energy systems.
