Wind energy has proven to be almost as efficient (or even more efficient) than photovoltaics, and it takes up less space. However, we are still not taking advantage of it as we need to. The solution? Sweden has just proposed the largest wind turbine in history, although it hides a surprise: it is made of wood.
Traditional turbines have become obsolete: we run the risk of wasting wind energy
Although wind installations follow the principle of clean energy, traditional wind turbines have some drawbacks. While wind turbines are considered to be an environmentally friendly power source, they have another side which is noise pollution conditioning from rotor blades.
The noise which the tires make is blowing for a long way and many people have an expression of annoyance. This pollution spews noise also can disturb wildlife.
Moreover, wind turbines’ moving blades might also be life-threatening to birds thereby hitting them while birds and bats were flying close to the wind farms.
Every year myriads of birds and bats are colliding with wind turbines during wind turbines’ operation. Another pernicious consequence of this is a problem during the process of environment.
There is also the issue of visual appealing in traditional wind farms. Some people think the vast rows of turbines, that beat around the horizon line, are just scarring the panorama of nature, as if there was never any beauty in the first place.
Sweden has an innovative but bizarre solution: the world’s largest wooden wind turbine
Not far away from Stockholm, the Sweden-based startup company, Modvion, has succeeded in implementing an untraditional method of generating wind power. Its system is based on the use of living trees as a foundation for small wind turbines.
Instead developing of trunks of living trees, Modvion has discovered a niche in generating compact wind turbines which they affix on trees’ trunks. This process involves removing a part of the tree trunk and inserting a cylindrical wood-made structure (diameter of the section of the tree canal) and then it houses a small vertical axis.
This post has included trees next to it which will support Plant’s health in the long term by supplying the sap with various kinds of nutrients and water. This concept of using the trees as accomplishers of the wind turbine and avoiding the use only of independent towers enables the turbine to be supported by the strength of the tree.
How does this revolutionary project work? Sweden’s goal with its mega-generator… made of wood
Specific Modvion’s method utilizes the vibrations of trees developed while dancing to generate electricity. They stake holed tree’s trunks and use small turbines and their shape is in a vertical axis and the blades are inside.
The tree trunk encloses a rotor which spins as a result of the wind dragging the tree from side to side. This is followed by the generation of electricity. The trunks are the real heavy hitters, they are very carefully selected together with customized set up, to max the energy generation.
The height of those trees is above 30 m; their diameter is approximatively 1 m. The innermost is specially shaped to enable the blades of windmill to turn randomly. Spaces for sensors and controllers are left for the system to monitor each condition and to adjust the angle of the blades accordingly.
At this point, we are still left with several questions about this innovation. The truth is that wind energy is promising and would work great on a large scale. However, we cannot forget that wood is not as strong a material as steel, although it is more renewable. On top of that, it would not stand the test of time like steel or aluminium, although that remains to be seen.