Wind turbines are constantly being analyzed to make them more efficient . Big companies, with many engineers, work on it every day and now have a competitor: Horst Bendix , from Leipzig. At 92, this gentleman has managed to develop an improved model which, according to him, is up to three times more efficient than current wind turbines :
The installation of turbines that achieve higher yields than the current ones and, therefore, require less space, could be a great advance for the problems that wind energy currently has in some of its locations. Horst Bendix relies on high altitude wind for his current wind turbine project. He takes you to heights of over 200 meters . The advantage is a higher energy yield . High-elevation winds are stronger and more constant, which can make ” wind harvesting ” more productive. The new prototype of the so-called high-altitude wind turbine differs from the design of conventional wind turbines:
the usual one-piece tower that current turbines have is replaced in the Bendix wind turbine by a three-legged construction consisting of a vertical column and two support columns. Also, there is no longer just one generator at the top of the nacelle, but rather several generators running at the bottom of the turbine. And what is different about the Bendix wind turbine? It completely overturned the classical structure:
the current wind generator consists of a tower in which there is a rotating nacelle with the rotor hub on which the rotor blades rest. The power generator is installed in the nacelle and the entire system rests on a solid foundation. However, these systems face a serious problem: bending forces. The wind acts on the rotor with considerable force, many tons. As a result, the tower bends and has to resist this bending and requires a large moment of resistance to the ground. The higher the tower, the stronger the bending forces. This increases the risk of instability and damage to the material structure. Horst Bendix replaces the tower in his system with a tripod construction consisting of one vertical column and two support columns. And there’s another novelty: the generator is no longer in the gondola, but there are several below, at the foot of the system. Wind energy is directed top-down to these generators through a system of belts:
The advantage of the construction is obvious: the problem of bending forces has been solved. Since the generators are located at the bottom, the weight of the tower head is removed. This means you can easily reach higher regions where there is much more wind. And that in turn means much higher performance. In addition, the entire tower rotates automatically with the wind direction. The power of a single wind turbine can be tripled. Experts also believe that the new wind turbine has a high chance of success. Wind energy expert Frank Zeulner, who has already planned and built several wind farms around the world, says:
With a system that big with a hub height that big, you can harvest 20 to 30 gigawatt hours a year. With a conventional one, for example, ten. The performance could turn out to be double or even triple . By reducing the load on the top of the tower due to the absence of a heavy generator, the turbine is also much more stable, as the high bending forces of conventional turbines are eliminated. Naturally, this ensures that I can easily reach the higher regions, where there is much more wind. And that, in turn, means much more performance. The patent is there, the prototype is not there yet:
Horst Bendix’s high-altitude wind turbine is already patented. He hopes he will experience it himself, that he will get his wind turbine technology right. A prototype of its high-rise wind turbine does not yet exist, but initial talks have been held with interested parties who want to build a test turbine. We already know where it would be worthwhile and possible to build it ” without conflicts “. Bendix worked as head of research and development at the Leipzig-based heavy machinery manufacturer Kirow until his retirement in 1995. There he was the heavy machinery man, designing cranes and lignite excavators.
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