The Poorman's DIY VAWTS Vertical Axis Wind Turbines

2010 looks like it's going to be a pivotal year in the world of Wind Turbines and Green Energy sources. For those of you that havent seen the new VAWTs (Vertical Axis Wind Turbines) from Urban Green you are missing out. Up until just a few years ago all wind turbines were the "Horizontal" mounted versions with their traditional dutch windmill basic technology. The primary issue is that with horizontal mounted wind turbines,the efficiency is not fantastic at lower wind speeds. VAWTs Vertical Axis Wind Turbines have become the potential solution in recent days with their ability to be less visually obtrusive in residential areas as well as more environmentally friendly toward birds and bats and the like.

VAWTs or Vertical Axis Wind Turbines are being designed in a wide variety of new configurations, shapes and power ratings. Some manufacturers are betting on "frictionless" larger wind turbines, while others are seeing the future as grids of mini-turbines. Urban Green Energy is a company on the forefront of progressive wind turbine technology. UGE sees a future where VAWTs are integrated with urban structures taking full advantage of man-made wind currents while maintaining a clean skyline and rooftop.

VAWTs are becoming more popular because of their ability to be lower to the ground where the traditional wind turbines are most effective at higher levels. The rotor assembly is thought to be responsible for up to thirty percent of the overall cost of the VAWTs. The generator component is a package that includes the Power Generator, the control electronics and the gearbox. The generator component and the rotor assemblies account for 75% of the VAWTs costs. The last and final pice of the puzzle is the structural support assembly which includes the rotor yaw and tower system. The simplicity of the machines makes it easy for artful experimentation with design-specific shapes which compliment the buildings or landscape they are placed in and or on.

Vertical Axis Wind Turbines are wind turbines that rotate on a vertical axis or parallel to the earth, where standard wind turbines operate on a horizontal axis to the eartch, more like a fan or an airplane propeller blade. VAWT is the general acronym for Vertical Axis Wind Turbines and VAWTs represents the plural of that acronym. VAWTS are a relatively new technology but due to it's lack of environmental invasiveness VAWTS are gaining in popularity. 2010 marks the beginning of vawts as a hub for information and reviews and sales of Vertical Axis Wind Turbines.

from wikipedia
VAWT
Vertical-axis wind turbines (VAWTs) are a type of wind turbine where the main rotor shaft is set vertically. Among the advantages of this arrangement are that generators and gearboxes can be placed close to the ground, and that VAWTs do not need to be pointed into the wind. Major drawbacks for the early designs (Savonius, Darrieus, giromill and cycloturbine) included the pulsatory torque that can be produced during each revolution and the huge bending moments on the blades. Later designs solved the torque issue by using the helical twist of the blades almost similar to Gorlov's water turbines.

A VAWT tipped sideways, with the axis perpendicular to the wind streamlines, functions similarly. A more general term that includes this option is "transverse axis wind turbine". For example, the original Darrieus patent , includes both options.

Drag-type VAWTs, such as the Savonius rotor, typically operate at lower tipspeed ratios than lift-based VAWTs such as Darrieus rotors and cycloturbines.
VAWTs offer a number of advantages over traditional horizontal axis wind turbines (HAWTs). They can be packed closer together in wind farms, allowing more in a given space. This is not because they are smaller, but rather due to the slowing effect on the air that HAWTs have, forcing designers to separate them by ten times their width.

VAWTs are rugged, quiet, omni-directional, and they do not create as much stress on the support structure. They do not require as much wind to generate power, thus allowing them to be closer to the ground. By being closer to the ground they are easily maintained and can be installed on chimneys and similar tall structures.

http://www.vawts.com

Vertical Axis Wind Turbines are wind turbines that rotate on a vertical axis or parallel to the earth, where standard wind turbines operate on a horizontal axis to the eartch, more like a fan or an airplane propeller blade. VAWT is the general acronym for Vertical Axis Wind Turbines and VAWTs represents the plural of that acronym. VAWTS are a relatively new technology but due to it's lack of environmental invasiveness VAWTS are gaining in popularity. 2010 marks the beginning of vawts as a hub for information and reviews and sales of Vertical Axis Wind Turbines.

from wikipedia
VAWT
Vertical-axis wind turbines (VAWTs) are a type of wind turbine where the main rotor shaft is set vertically. Among the advantages of this arrangement are that generators and gearboxes can be placed close to the ground, and that VAWTs do not need to be pointed into the wind. Major drawbacks for the early designs (Savonius, Darrieus, giromill and cycloturbine) included the pulsatory torque that can be produced during each revolution and the huge bending moments on the blades. Later designs solved the torque issue by using the helical twist of the blades almost similar to Gorlov's water turbines.

A VAWT tipped sideways, with the axis perpendicular to the wind streamlines, functions similarly. A more general term that includes this option is "transverse axis wind turbine". For example, the original Darrieus patent , includes both options.

Drag-type VAWTs, such as the Savonius rotor, typically operate at lower tipspeed ratios than lift-based VAWTs such as Darrieus rotors and cycloturbines.
VAWTs offer a number of advantages over traditional horizontal axis wind turbines (HAWTs). They can be packed closer together in wind farms, allowing more in a given space. This is not because they are smaller, but rather due to the slowing effect on the air that HAWTs have, forcing designers to separate them by ten times their width.

VAWTs are rugged, quiet, omni-directional, and they do not create as much stress on the support structure. They do not require as much wind to generate power, thus allowing them to be closer to the ground. By being closer to the ground they are easily maintained and can be installed on chimneys and similar tall structures.

http://www.vawts.com