Vortex Project: Energy without blades

16/02/2015

Wind power is, without any doubt, the cleanest energy that has experienced the greatest growth in the world in recent years. In Chile there are large wind farms equipped with the highest technology and there are ongoing projects for several initiatives of this type.

The devices used up to now are the so-called multi-blade wind turbines. Despite the notorious and indisputable technological improvements that have been achieved, this system presents different aspects that can be improved. Mainly there have been problems of their blades with birds, causing great mortality of species. The new technology of Vortex Bladeless SL, aims to solve many of them.

The Vortex project tries to evolve the current wind turbines of 3 blades to wind turbines without blades. A second generation of wind turbines that can generate the same energy as the traditional ones, but with a clear saving in production - exploitation costs and other environmental benefits - landscaping.

Wind turbines are totally different from the current ones both in their form and in the way of generating energy. Those responsible for the Vortex project are David Suriol, David Yáñez and Raúl Martín, partners in the company Deutecno. The simplification of the system achieves savings in materials, transportation and maintenance that will generate up to an 40% more energy, more economical and efficient.

The drastic reduction in manufacturing and maintenance costs (elimination of moving parts), the operation with a greater range of wind speeds, the absence of noise and the low center of gravity make it a revolutionary technological leap and the natural alternative to existing technology in the shortest term.

The device consists of a semi-rigid vertical cylinder, anchored in the ground, and which includes piezoelectric materials. Electrical energy is generated by the deformation suffered by these materials when entering into resonance with the wind. Or as David Suriol explains in a more colloquial way "It's like putting a baseball bat upside down, up, and swinging".

Some of the benefits of these new wind turbines are:

- They do not generate noise.

- They do not cause interference with radars.

- Lower cost of materials and assembly.

- Lower maintenance costs.

- Reduces the environmental impact.

- More efficient. It produces cheaper clean energy.

- Works against a greater range of wind speeds.

The Vortex project won first prize in the Energy category at The South Summit 2014.

In 2016 you could already have the first unit of this wind turbine without blades, thanks to the initial support of Repsol and twelve private investors. The market price would be about 5500 euros.