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New wind turbines may change the industry: Aeromine and Vortex are innovating motionless wind turbines that address challenges that traditional wind plants suffer from, such as their environmental impacts, the unpredictable nature of weather, urban incompatibility, and land availability issues. Motionless wind turbines, for example, need no inverter and can be directly linked to buildings and other assets.
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How does it work? Aeromine’s system harnesses the wind to produce clean energy efficiently without visible moving parts. The new wind energy unit — designed to be installed on the edge of a building to maximize wind utilization — features vertical airfoils that induce a vacuum effect, forcing air to be sucked behind a propeller, generating power. The company claims that its design maximizes wind utilization by accelerating wind speed and creating a low-pressure zone that draws wind through perforations, driving a fully enclosed turbine. The enclosed setup protects the turbine from extreme weather, enhancing its lifetime and protecting wildlife from exposure to blades.
Better than typical turbines? Unlike traditional wind turbines, Aeromine’s bladeless design minimizes noise and vibrations, reducing environmental impact. It also operates efficiently at lower wind speeds, making it a versatile option for urban environments. Aeromine’s turbines can also start generating power at wind speeds as low as five mph, compared to the nine mph required by traditional turbines.
Spain’s Vortex Bladeless is also developing a bladeless turbine tech. It consists of a fixed base and a cylindrical mast that oscillates perpendicular to the wind direction, connected by a carbon rod. The design leverages the natural phenomenon of aeroelastic resonance, known as Vortex Shedding, where wind passing around the structure creates pressure vortexes that cause the mast to oscillate. The device generates electricity through electromagnetic induction, similar to a traditional alternator, but without the need for a rotating shaft or gearbox. The magnets within the device also act as a “tuning system,” adjusting the mast’s elasticity to accommodate a wider range of wind speeds.
There may be more bladeless tech coming: Egyptian researchers at Pharos University in Alexandria also developed a new bladeless wind turbine design. The new turbine design features a cone-shaped structure along a column that moves with air currents, generating electricity without the need for blades. The system will also include a linear generator. Glasgow-based startup Katrick Technologies also introduced a bladeless turbine design dubbed the Wind Panel. Wind Panels are honeycomb-shaped and use oscillating aerofoils to harness low-level turbulent winds, making them suitable for urban environments.
