01/07/2009
Product Pick of the Week - The Mag-Wind™ wind turbine
The Mag-Wind turbine is made by Enviro Energies and it is built using magnetic levitation technology that reduces friction, noise, vibration, and energy loss. Some other interesting aspects of the Mag-Wind System include:
- Vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT) style with sails can receive wind from all directions, horizontal or vertical.
- Axial flux alternator enables the turbine to generate more electricity at lower speeds.
- Roof mounted design doesn't require a tower and puts the turbine in a position to capture favorable roof effect winds.
- Programmable variable coil resistance provides more resistance in higher winds and less resistance in lower winds.
According to Enviro Energies has three models that will be available as follows:
MW-1100, 5 kW, ~1100 kWh monthly, delivery: Q2 2009
MW-2200, 10 kW, ~2200 kWh monthly, delivery: 6 mths from order
MW-12M, 50 kW, ~12 mWh monthly, delivery: Q3 2009
Other interesting information on the technology:
The amount of power that can be obtained from the wind turbine is dependent on three factors:
- The amount of wind available.
- The shape of the roof (roof effect).
- The size of the sails.
- The shape of the roof is very important because the Mag-Wind™ MVAWT is mounted on the roof of a building instead of on a pole as are most other types of wind turbines.
The shape of the roof is a major consideration because it can amplify the wind speed or detract from it. Delft University coined an excellent term for describing this, the UDA factor. This is the wind speed on the roof versus the undisturbed air (UDA). In our survey of houses the best UDA factor that we saw was a house with a 3.5 UDA factor. In the wind speed density formula (WPD=1/2*P*V3) the velocity is cubed. So a 3.5 times increase in velocity is a remarkable 43% increase in wind power available. However most of the time we find that the UDA for houses with peaked roofs is between 1.5 to 2.5.
A good roof shape or an increase in the wind turbine’s sail area can make up for poor wind conditions in most cases. However, if we increase the amount of sail area to account for low wind speed then we also have to increase the number of magnets and coils that we use in our axial flux alternator for generating electricity.
Because we have these three variables to consider when placing a turbine on a roof, it is impossible to show a conventional wind power curve chart. The power curve is dependent upon how much wind is available at the site (including daily and seasonal variations); the shape of the roof of a specific building; and the size of the sails on a specific model of Mag-Wind™ brand MVAWT wind turbine.
For more information, please contact Trevor Sievert at ts@windfair.net
- Vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT) style with sails can receive wind from all directions, horizontal or vertical.
- Axial flux alternator enables the turbine to generate more electricity at lower speeds.
- Roof mounted design doesn't require a tower and puts the turbine in a position to capture favorable roof effect winds.
- Programmable variable coil resistance provides more resistance in higher winds and less resistance in lower winds.
According to Enviro Energies has three models that will be available as follows:
MW-1100, 5 kW, ~1100 kWh monthly, delivery: Q2 2009
MW-2200, 10 kW, ~2200 kWh monthly, delivery: 6 mths from order
MW-12M, 50 kW, ~12 mWh monthly, delivery: Q3 2009
Other interesting information on the technology:
The amount of power that can be obtained from the wind turbine is dependent on three factors:
- The amount of wind available.
- The shape of the roof (roof effect).
- The size of the sails.
- The shape of the roof is very important because the Mag-Wind™ MVAWT is mounted on the roof of a building instead of on a pole as are most other types of wind turbines.
The shape of the roof is a major consideration because it can amplify the wind speed or detract from it. Delft University coined an excellent term for describing this, the UDA factor. This is the wind speed on the roof versus the undisturbed air (UDA). In our survey of houses the best UDA factor that we saw was a house with a 3.5 UDA factor. In the wind speed density formula (WPD=1/2*P*V3) the velocity is cubed. So a 3.5 times increase in velocity is a remarkable 43% increase in wind power available. However most of the time we find that the UDA for houses with peaked roofs is between 1.5 to 2.5.
A good roof shape or an increase in the wind turbine’s sail area can make up for poor wind conditions in most cases. However, if we increase the amount of sail area to account for low wind speed then we also have to increase the number of magnets and coils that we use in our axial flux alternator for generating electricity.
Because we have these three variables to consider when placing a turbine on a roof, it is impossible to show a conventional wind power curve chart. The power curve is dependent upon how much wind is available at the site (including daily and seasonal variations); the shape of the roof of a specific building; and the size of the sails on a specific model of Mag-Wind™ brand MVAWT wind turbine.
For more information, please contact Trevor Sievert at ts@windfair.net
- Source:
- Enviro Energies
- Author:
- Posted by Trevor Sievert, Online Editorial Journalist
- Email:
- ts@windfair.net
- Link:
- www.windfair.net/...
- Keywords:
- Enviro Energies, wind energy, renewable energy, wind turbine, wind power, wind farm, rotorblade, onshore, offshore
