An 89-year-old World War II veteran has developed a bird and bat friendly wind turbine that he says can cut also the costs of wind power.
Raymond Green states his CWP Compressed Air Enclosed Wind Turbine can be manufactured in sizes from personal use portables to massive units that can used in major wind farm installations.
All moving parts of the turbine are internal – the blades are mounted behind the windsock and inner compression cone.
Mr Green says other advantages include a quieter and lighter-weight unit that doesn’t need to be mounted as high as traditional wind turbines.
“Since our turbine compresses the wind, it can be mounted lower to the ground, allowing for safer installation and maintenance while still at least doubling the energy it creates.”
A prototype built by Mr. Green weighs around 21kg, has a turbine diameter of 30cm, a wind sock opening 78 cm in diameter and cost around $550 to build.
New Jersey based Sigma Design Co. has been contracted to test, refine and manufacture the turbine; which may be commercially available within the next 2 years.
Other bird and bat friendly wind turbines we’ve covered in the past include the Fuller Wind Turbine and Saphon Energy’s zero-blade wind power device.
The impact of wind farms in relation to bird-kills is a hotly debated topic. One study estimates wind farms are responsible for between 0.3 and 0.4 fatalities per gigawatt-hour (GWh) of electricity. However, the same study states fossil-fueled power stations are responsible for about 5.2 fatalities per GWh.
With regard to bat deaths, it’s been found stationary radar beams significantly reduces bat activity near wind turbines; which could dramatically decrease turbine related bat fatalities.
In relation to noise and human health issues, in 2011 the 10th independent review by the British Acoustics Bulletin again found annoyance was more likely associated with other social and psychological factors – and the existence of “Wind Turbine Syndrome” was debunked by Australia’s Climate And Health Alliance (CAHA) earlier this year.
