Table Of ContentInnovative Wind Turbines
Innovative Wind Turbines
An Illustrated Guidebook
Vaughn Nelson
CRC Press
Taylor & Francis Group
6000 Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 300
Boca Raton, FL 33487-2742
© 2020 by Taylor & Francis Group, LLC
CRC Press is an imprint of Taylor & Francis Group, an Informa business
No claim to original U.S. Government works
Printed on acid-free paper
International Standard Book Number-13: 978-0-367-81931-6 (Hardback)
This book contains information obtained from authentic and highly regarded sources. Reasonable
efforts have been made to publish reliable data and information, but the author and publisher can-
not assume responsibility for the validity of all materials or the consequences of their use. The
authors and publishers have attempted to trace the copyright holders of all material reproduced in
this publication and apologize to copyright holders if permission to publish in this form has not been
obtained. If any copyright material has not been acknowledged, please write and let us know so we
may rectify in any future reprint.
Except as permitted under U.S. Copyright Law, no part of this book may be reprinted, reproduced,
transmitted, or utilized in any form by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or
hereafter invented, including photocopying, microfilming, and recording, or in any information
storage or retrieval system, without written permission from the publishers.
For permission to photocopy or use material electronically from this work, please access www.copy-
right.com (http://www.copyright.com/) or contact the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc. (CCC),
222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, 978-750-8400. CCC is a not-for-profit organization that
provides licenses and registration for a variety of users. For organizations that have been granted a
photocopy license by the CCC, a separate system of payment has been arranged.
Trademark Notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and
are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Nelson, Vaughn, author.
Title: Innovative wind turbines : an illustrated guidebook / by Vaughn
Nelson.
Description: First edition. | Boca Raton, FL : CRC press/Taylor & Francis
Group, [2020]
Identifiers: LCCN 2019042277 (print) | LCCN 2019042278 (ebook) | ISBN
9780367819316 (hardback ; acid-free paper) | ISBN 9781003010883 (ebook ;
acid-free paper)
Subjects: LCSH: Wind turbines--Handbooks, manuals, etc.
Classification: LCC TJ828 .N45 2020 (print) | LCC TJ828 (ebook) | DDC
621.4/8--dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019042277
LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019042278
Visit the Taylor & Francis Web site at
http://www.taylorandfrancis.com
and the CRC Press Web site at
http://www.crcpress.com
Contents
Preface......................................................................................................................vii
Acknowledgments .....................................................................................................ix
Author .......................................................................................................................xi
Chapter 1 Introduction ..........................................................................................1
1.1 Drag Device ...............................................................................5
1.2 Lift Device .................................................................................7
1.3 Innovative Systems ....................................................................9
1.4 Historical Innovative Systems .................................................10
1.5 United States Innovative Program ...........................................13
1.6 Background ..............................................................................17
References ..........................................................................................18
History Sources ..................................................................................19
Chapter 2 Horizontal Axis Wind Turbines .........................................................21
2.1 One Blade ................................................................................22
2.2 Multiple Blades ........................................................................26
2.3 Sailwings .................................................................................29
2.4 Multiple Rotors ........................................................................33
2.5 Multiple Turbines .....................................................................36
References ..........................................................................................41
Chapter 3 Ducted Wind Turbines .......................................................................43
3.1 Venturi Wind Turbines ............................................................52
3.2 Acceleration .............................................................................55
References ..........................................................................................61
Chapter 4 Vertical Axis Wind Turbines..............................................................63
4.1 Darrieus ...................................................................................63
4.2 H-Rotor, Giromill ....................................................................69
4.3 Savonius ...................................................................................75
4.4 Multiple Blades, Multiple Rotors.............................................76
4.5 Squirrel Cage ...........................................................................82
4.6 Other VAWTs ..........................................................................85
References ..........................................................................................90
v
vi Contents
Chapter 5 Airborne Wind Energy .......................................................................91
5.1 Generator Aloft ........................................................................92
5.2 Generator on Ground ...............................................................98
5.3 Comments ..............................................................................110
References ........................................................................................112
Chapter 6 More Wind Turbines ........................................................................115
6.1 Flexbeam ...............................................................................115
6.2 Blade, Spar Angle ..................................................................117
6.3 Other Rotors .........................................................................118
6.4 Lift Translators ......................................................................124
6.5 No Rotor ................................................................................124
6.6 Blades ....................................................................................128
6.7 Magnus Effect .......................................................................134
6.8 Other ......................................................................................135
References ........................................................................................139
Index ......................................................................................................................141
Preface
Innovative Wind Turbines is a tribute to the inventors, entrepreneurs, researchers, and
companies who have envisioned, designed, and constructed models and prototypes
through their efforts. There are numerous concepts and ideas on ways to convert wind
energy into usable energy. I will look at innovative, novel, or unusual concepts with
lots of photos and a few historical examples (from before the modern wind industry,
which began after the first oil crisis in 1973).
I will cover prototypes that have been constructed and a few design concepts.
Almost all have not reached the commercial stage, although airborne wind energy
systems have the potential to become commercial.
Essentially, performance (power curves and energy production), problems, and
failures will not be mentioned. Problems and failures are common with prototypes and
first production units. The Alternative Energy Institute, West Texas A&M University
(WTAMU) and the Agricultural Research Service (ARS), U.S. Department of
Agriculture, Bushland, Texas had a cooperative agreement on rural applications for
wind energy. From 1976 to 2015, we field-tested more than 80 wind turbines (most
of them prototypes or first production units) from 50 W to 500 kW. All had failures
and problems from within days to six months of operation.
Much of the information gleaned from this project is available on the Internet;
however, many of the businesses and web sites involved are now defunct, and it is
difficult to get information on those units and permission to use the photos. A couple
of entities refused to send photos with the primary reason that units were still in
development. That is somewhat strange, as web sites and photos are available on the
Internet. I apologize in advance if the source for a photo is not properly recognized.
Many of the sites provide videos, and I have included a URL for those I found
interesting.
CONTACT
I am sure there are innovative or novel prototypes not mentioned, so if you know
of any that have been constructed, please contact me or Ken Starcher. We plan on
creating a web site; however, we have no fixed date on implementation.
Vaughn Nelson; [email protected]
Kenneth Starcher; [email protected]
vii
Acknowledgments
I am deeply indebted to the many colleagues at the Alternative Energy Institute
(AEI was terminated in 2015) of West Texas A&M University and at the Wind
Energy Group (program canceled in 2012) at the Agricultural Research Service,
U.S. Department of Agriculture, Bushland, Texas. The students in my classes and
the students who worked at AEI provided many insights and valuable feedback.
Others include the numerous international researchers and interns who worked with
us on projects at AEI and USDA. Thanks also to Brandon Stienle, Creative Manager,
Information Technology at WTAMU, for preparing the computer drawings.
I appreciate all the entities and people that I was able to contact that graciously
provided photos. Only two declined to provide photos, and there were a few where
contact points were not functional or where I failed to obtain a reply.
Special thanks to the reviewers: Kenneth Starcher, Paul Gipe, and David Carr. Ken
(Instructor, Engineering Technology) has been at WTAMU since he was a freshman
in 1976 and has worked in renewable energy, primarily wind energy, over that entire
span. Paul is a long-time renewable energy advocate, founder and information guru
of Wind-Works, and author of eight books on wind energy. David is the founder and
chief officer of RenewTest; previously, he was Dean of Technology at Frank Phillips
College, and before that he was at the Alternative Energy Institute, WTAMU, for
12 years serving in various roles.
I want to express gratitude to my wife, Beth, who has put up with me all these
years. As always, she is very supportive, especially in visiting all those wind farms
to obtain information and take photos and in accompanying me on many trips to
different parts of the world.
ix
