Wind power is one of the greatest options to our current power crisis. One way to harness the winds power is through a device called wind turbine. A typical horizontal axis windmill needs an area of at least an acre and blowing wind speed of no less than eleven miles per hour; a prerequisite most location doesn’t usually meet. Even the device itself can be costly since conventional wind turbine needs high towers to operate. One of the best options to typical wind turbine is the savonius wind turbine.
The savonius wind turbine was developed by a Finnish engineer named Sigurd J. Savonius in the 1920′s. During that time, horizontal axis windmills were already popular. But early conventional windmill designs were quite sophisticated and expensive to setup and maintain. The savonius wind turbine became an ideal alternative. The system was adapted for purposes such as water pumping and grain grinding.
The savonius design has several advantages over convention horizontal axis wind generator. The design patented by Sigurd J. Savonius was one of the few vertical axis wind generator; also called VAWT’s. Due to its vertical axis, the system can function even at varying wind direction; a feature you won’t get from conventional horizontal axis generators. Because the savonius design is effective even with low blowing wind condition, the system doesn’t need a tower or other costly structure to keep it in place which greatly reduces its initial installation cost. And since the system is close to the ground, maintenance can be done effortlessly.
Because of the ease of the design, any DIY and alternative power enthusiast can create their own savonius wind turbine at home. The material often used to produce the scoops is made up of a single oil barrel cut lengthwise. The two halves are then joined at one end to create an “S” shape when viewed from the top. Because the design uses scoops instead of blades, the system can run softly without waking up the neighbors. And because of the lack of long blades, it is safe for birds that would pass close to the system.
However, as a result of lack of blades of the savonius wind turbine is also its disadvantage. The scoop system it uses to harness the winds power has only half the efficiency of conventional turbine resulting to less power generation. Although the system is short on efficiency, it still provides some interesting feature such as the low profile design making it sturdy even with very strong winds. Most importantly, it allows you to enjoy the benefits of the winds free power all at a less cost.
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Posted under DIY Home Renovation
This post was written by editor on July 6, 2011
