By Derek Markham
© Saphon
When it comes to the future of wind power, one company thinks it
looks a lot different than you would expect, and cheaper and more
efficient to boot. Saphon, out of Tunisia, is interested in finding
partners to mass-produce and market their unique wind energy device,
based on their own Zero Blade technology.
"The Zero-Blade Technology is largely inspired from the sailboat and is likely to increase the efficiency of the current wind power onversion devices. The blades are replaced by a sail shaped body while both hub and gearbox are removed."
According to the company, their zero-blade technology devices are capable of overcoming the Betz' limit, which states that no turbine can capture more than 59.3 percent of the kinetic energy of the wind.
An average wind turbine captures only 30 to 40%, while the Saphon
turbine is said to be 2.3 times more efficient. Additionally, the cost
is expected to be 45% less than a conventional turbine, mostly due to
the fact that there are no blades, no hub, and no gearbox on the units.
The Saphon Zero Blade technology
is different in other ways as well, most significantly being storage of
energy. Most of the kinetic energy can be stored (via a hydraulic
accumulator) or converted to electricity with a hydraulic motor and
generator.
"We've developed several prototypes. We are at our second generation prototype. We did the testing and this second one is twice as efficient as a three blade turbine and in terms of manufacturing is at least 50 percent cheaper." - Hassine Labaied
The
company is now looking for manufacturing partners to bring the turbine
to market, and once that happens, they expect to be shipping out units
anywhere from 18 to 24 months afterward.
Source: Treehugger
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