Article October 24, 2009 Summary regarding H-Darrieus AWE
exploration Let's go phi a kite!
by Darin Selby
CarbonConceptsHDarrieusBrochure.pdf
DarrieusHRotorCarbonConcepts.rtf
DarrieusSelfStartingStudy.pdf
DarrieusStraightBladedwepower.pdf
HDarrieusSelfActing.pdf
HDarrieusSelfStarting.jpg
HDarrieusTASSA.pdf
KiteMarctrans.jpg
baden_powellmanlifterkite2.jpg
dualballoonwindenergyharvester.jpg
gophiakite.jpg
kitepulleylever25.jpg
kitepulleyleverSM.jpg
trikewing.jpg
tubercletechnology.JPG
tubercletechnology2.JPG
tubercletechnology3.JPG
whalestailwinduprelease.jpg
Here is a new drawing that I wanted to share with you and the group.
The hexagonal kite (which has in it the phi ratio),
as well as the "dual
H-Darrieus" assembly has just been re-drawn.
I've placed all of the pertinent information found,
into this one email. [ED:
pitch
control study.]
It’s a more practical design for the masses than the Whale's Tail, which
may someday become an art installation at Burning Man. This new design
utilizes two sets of H-Darrieus rotors, that have only two blades each.
Here is some background information on it:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Darrieus_wind_turbine
Instead of needing an elaborate tower to mount it all on, now it's held
aloft by a hexagonal lifter kite:
http://www.cradleofaviation.org/exhibits/dream_of_wings/marconi/
http://www.kites.org/tmr/baden-powell_eng.htm
http://www.kiteplans.org/pln_120/
http://people.zeelandnet.nl/kitepassion/Baden.htm
To assemble this very stable kite, and then send it aloft to only 100-200
feet, would probably take as much effort as setting up the family tent!
Then, an abundance of electricity can be made.
By changing the design of the contra-spinning "dual H-Darrieus" rotors to
have only two blades per unit instead of four, it becomes simpler to
assemble, and actually, as I have just discovered, more efficient!
What this wind energy engineer, Doug Selsam,
http://www.superturbine.info/
has recently written about, makes a lot of sense. Even though he speaks of
propeller blades, I believe that it can also be translated over to
H-Darrieus blades as well. Basically, adding more blades than the original
two, only leads to more drag:
“I had the veterans telling me how dumb I was to suggest more than 3
blades, per rotor etc., just like beginners do today. I had to listen to
the veterans. I remember the day I dropped from 3 blades to 2 per rotor
and saw my power increase a LOT. Who knew? I slowly found that the
veterans knew a lot that I had no clue of, or just didn't want to believe.
One cannot adequately describe the functioning of a high-speed rotor in
its power band - it has to be experienced to be believed. (wow!)”
This company, Carbon Concepts, who appear to have a superior design to all
other 'Darrieus'-style wind power generators. They do use four blades, but
that can easily be edited back to the original 2-bladed system, from the
1921 patent. They also manufacture their own designed electricity
generator. http://www.carbonconcepts.co.uk/
They also are set up to fabricate any shape and contour of a blade that
one may require. I was studying their present carbon fiber blade design,
and it came to mind that the Ultralight trike wing blade shape, that I've
come across, may even turn out to be even more efficient. This wing is
shaped in such a way as to most likely increase the leading-edge pull, or
lift. (see attachment section^)
Then even experiment with attaching those"bumps” on the leading edge of
the bladewings. Why not? It may just turn out to be all that marine
scientist, Frank Fish, says that it is. If the Humpback whales are doing
it, it must be good, eh? There has to be a particular reason why these
tubercles exist on the leading edge of their pectoral fins. And, I believe
that he has discovered why.
http://rexresearch.com/whalewing/whalewing.htm
They migrate over 5100 miles. These boney tubercles (that’s right, they
are part of the bone structure), comb the water, to make it more fluidic,
and less chaotic, as it flows over the fin. This means that more of an
organized slipstream is created. So too, one might as well place this
“Whalepower” technology on the leading edge of each carbon fiber, V-wing
shaped blade. And then receive 20% improvements, according to the tests
they’ve done.
Here is a review made of Carbon Concepts present-day carbon-fiber blade
unit:
"Carbon Concepts, UK based designers of lightweight composite structures,
have developed a near silent vertical axis turbine for domestic and
industrial use.
The company have developed carbon fibre technology for a variety of
industries and applications, and applied their experiences with
aerodynamics and composite construction to create an innovative vertical
axis turbine which claims to offer an almost silent operation, even at
high speed and load.
The vertical axis machines are generically quieter than traditional wind
turbines, with the novel design of the blade tips rendering the turbine
virtually silent even at the highest speeds. The company do credit outside
assistance, with much of the aerodynamic technology being built on the
electrical generator and aerodynamic expertise from the University of
Durham.
Most of the functionality of the turbine is based around the use of carbon
fibre, a material which has added fatigue resistance, with many other
vertical turbines having failed through fatigue in similar aluminium
structures, according to the company.
Testing has confirmed that, even at high speed and load, the rotor is
effectively silent, and attempts to measure the noise of the rotor showed
that perceived noise was dominated by the wind and adjacent trees.
The turbine also has a carbon spar made with glass fibre skins, which is
required to keep the fatigue levels below the endurance limit, providing a
virtually infinite life.”
http://www.carbonconcepts.co.uk/
As powerfully-efficient as Doug Selsam’s multi-rotor system is,
http://www.superturbine.info/ one needs to also consider having a
multi-propeller noise factor, which would be much greater than that of an
a multi-unit H-Darrieus system.
Granted, it may not even be close to producing the same amount of
power-output of this multi-propeller system, yet the trade-off would be
its quietness and portability. Four detachable Carbon fiber V-shaped
bladewings, and two rotating hubs, with an electricity generator
in-between, with a slipring assembly below it.
http://www.tradeindia.com/Seller-1964440-2421458-1023-CATALOGS/Machinery-Parts/AARCO-INDIA.html
The other advantage is that these “contra-spinning”, H-Darrieus assemblies
can be vertically-stacked in numbers, while hanging beneath the kite
string pulley. The constant tug from the spring-loaded spool reel (minus
its "catch" mechanism), is fastened below to the ground.
http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_200326536_200326536
This spool may be located about 100 feet away from where the
trailer-mounted kite tether, hand-crank spool is located.
http://reelcraft.thomasnet.com/item/all-categories/heavy-duty-cord-reels-series-30000-/ca30106-cs?&plpver=10&origin=keyword&by=prod&filter=0
The multi-propeller system has props spread out on a relatively
horizontal, spinning axle. So in that regard, it needs an elaborate
“yawing” rudder fin to stay pointed into the right wind direction. The
simpler, H-Darrieus assemblies will continue to spin, no matter what
direction the wind is coming from.
I would also venture to say that, having vertical-spinning, carbon-fiber
blades would be more benign to flying creatures. As these units get
larger, the chaos vortex turbulences also have to be accounted for. There
is already trouble with bats’ lungs exploding, from flying in the downwind
vicinity of a wind farm.
Multiple spinning blades mean a smaller, more concentrated, trailing
vortex street. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kármán_vortex_street
That means a smaller, more intense area of low pressure turbulence, is
created. To maximize its efficiency and capture the “fresh wind”, these
many spinning blades are tilted, upon its one long spinning axle. So, the
area of downstream chaos vortex turbulence is magnified upon that one
horizontal axis.
http://www.speakerfactory.net/Truss.jpg
Stacked H-Darrieus, contra-spinning units, would tend to spread its
downstream chaos vortex turbulence along a vertical axis. This means less
of a concentrated, low pressure zone in one area. This is better for the
bats, and preventing the barotrauma from happening.
Is it really about making more wattage than the next guy’s design, or is
it about efficiently utilizing the amount of decentralized power that is
being created? That is, having highly-efficient appliances, which are used
on a daily basis (i.e. refrigerator, lighting, computer, water pumps,
electric vehicle). This upgrade to appliances that use micro-power, could
offset a lower wattage output of this not-as-powerful, yet more benign,
wind energy harvesting system.
~Darin
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