Good Vibrations: Innovating Small-Scale Wind 'Turbines'
Humans have made practical use of the wind for aeons. But we are still coming up with new ways, such as the Spanish company Vortex Bladeless’ innovative technology that harnesses wind power for smaller-scale applications.
Discussions about wind energy usually deal with large-scale horizontal-axis three-bladed towered wind turbines (HAWTs). However, innovative, smaller-scale solutions are emerging that, despite their size, can prove invaluable in providing just the right solution for specific applications.
The Spanish company Vortex Bladeless S.L. boldly claims that its technology is helping reinvent wind power. And doubtlessly, they are onto something. Vortex Bladeless has won several innovation awards and is now backed by the Norwegian state energy company Equinor, plus partly funded by the European Commission’s Horizon 2020 programme for research and innovation.
Perfect for urban applications
True to the company name, the Vortex Bladeless turbine doesn’t use the giant rotor blades of HAWTs. In fact, the first Nano prototypes are just 0.85 metres high. And they are not really turbines either. Maybe this makes you sceptical, but the bladeless wind turbines were never meant to compete with HAWTs.
David Yáñez, co-founder, president, and CTO, says: “After renewable energy has become an indisputable and competitive reality, the immediate future will be distributed and even decentralised energy.”
“Individuals or families will become major players in producing and marketing the energy generated on their roofs. We want our technology to help them cover their energy needs.”
With their vertical construction, bladeless wind turbines have a tiny footprint, and they are practically noiseless. It makes them an excellent fit for urban and residential areas. They are also no threat to birds.
A durable and low-cost design
So, how does bladeless technology work? The Vortex Bladeless website explains that their innovation is “a vortex-induced vibration-resonant wind generator. It harnesses wind energy from a phenomenon of vorticity called Vortex Shedding.”
The construction uses an elastic, conical mast inside a vertically fixed two-part, rigid cylinder. The bottom part of the cylinder is firmly fixed to the ground while the top part moves freely and has the maximum oscillation amplitude.
The mast reacts optimally to wind velocities and adapts quickly to wind direction changes and turbulent airflows. As the cylinder oscillates, it captures mechanical energy, which is then transferred to an alternator that converts it into electricity. The alternator is a relatively simple construction with coils and magnets, and with no gears, shafts or moving parts, it is cheap and easy to produce. In operation, the risk of turbine breakdowns and downtime is reduced significantly, lowering maintenance needs.
The bladeless turbine is designed to withstand harsh weather conditions, including rain and snow, and wind speeds up to 30–35 m/s – violent storms or near-hurricane forces.
Collapsing bridge planted the seeds
Yáñez got the idea while still an engineering student at Valladolid University, seeing a 1940s film of the Tacoma Narrows Bridge oscillating wildly in the wind. The bridge collapsed just four months after being opened to traffic.
He remembers thinking: “That bridge is collecting a significant amount of energy. I wonder if there’s a way to create a technology that could take advantage of it? Then, I realised a vertical structure can reach winds far from the ground, therefore at greater speeds.”
Today Vortex Bladeless holds six families of registered patents. The company was founded in 2014 with the help of business angels and other funding. Since then, it has been an exciting journey, including crowdfunding, awards, media coverage, exciting collaborations, and prototype-building.
Finally going to market
The development is at an exciting stage, Yáñez says: “After more than half a decade of developing the technology ‘in the lab’ and manufacturing some pre-series, we have reached sufficient maturity to make the first modest incursions into the market.”