Canada - Innovative CWIND friction drive overcomes limitations of traditional wind turbines

Test results released today indicate that a new friction drive wind turbine from CWIND could make wind power more economically viable and commercially attractive. CWIND, a wholly owned subsidiary of New World Generation Inc., released results of a 12-month pilot test of its innovative friction drive CWIND turbine at the 2008 World Wind Energy Conference (WWEC).

The novel CWIND design avoids the gearbox failures that limit the effectiveness of current wind generators. Based on data collected from a retrofitted 64 kilowatt turbine, CWIND has demonstrated proof of concept for its industry-first friction drive design, and has begun working on a utility-scale 2 megawatt turbine.

“Our successful field testing proves that the CWIND friction drive turbine can provide reliable power generation on a commercial scale,” said Paula Mayor, Manager of Business Development. “Our friction drive technology has the potential to go beyond conventional wind turbine scale-up limitations and offer commercial and cost benefits over all other turbine designs available today.”

CWIND turbines look similar to conventional wind turbines – three bladed, horizontal axis, variable speed units – but they have distinct and exclusive characteristics. CWIND’s simple technology features a friction flywheel driving multiple generators, each with independent load paths. A CWIND turbine uses small generators to allow a wide range of electrical power production at high efficiency, thereby increasing overall operating efficiency. The CWIND design also inherently limits the torque transmitted through the drive, enabling absorption of sudden wind gusts. This helps CWIND’s turbines avoid the failure that plagues other turbine designs, when the massive torque from sudden wind gusts is transmitted through the gearbox, leading to bearing stresses and excessive loads.

“Successfully completing the R&D and field testing gives us full confidence to proceed with our commercialization plan to bring utility-scale CWIND turbines to market,” said Mayor. “We are now actively seeking strategic partners to take our design to market.”

CWIND’s design innovations dramatically improve operational effectiveness and efficiency for both onland and off-shore applications. A CWIND turbine has an internal crane, allowing all component parts to be maintained or replaced with relative ease and without requiring a large external crane. The multiple generator design also allows for the turbine to remain in production while routine maintenance is performed.

Tested at a site near Clinton, Ontario, Canada for the past 12 months, the CWIND turbine demonstrated its commercial viability and met or exceeded all expectations. The turbine was connected to the grid and data collected is being used to design and build the utility-scale 2 megawatt turbine and to optimize material selection for commercial production. Full details of the testing and projections for larger scale turbines were released at the WWEC.

About New World Generation:
New World Generation’s plan is to build a global commercial enterprise of renewable, innovative, economical and reliable energy solutions, introducing better alternatives to existing forms of fossil fuels. The company’s core business is moving researched and developed technologies out of the lab and into the market. Incorporated since 2001, New World Generation has invested in nine international patents focused on energy storage and wind power generation.

For more information, please contact Trevor Sievert at ts@windfair.net