Plourde B.D., Abraham J.P., Mowry G.S.
University of St. Thomas, US
Keywords: communication towers, microscale wind power, vertical-axis turbine
A vertical-axis turbine has been designed to power cellular communication towers. The turbine’s design is specifically focused on providing continuous power to manage the tower’s electronics without interfering with the tower structure. The design of the blade was aided by computational fluid dynamic software which allowed the introduction of novel aerodynamic features. A full scale prototype has been testing in a wind tunnel and has been shown to be a viable source of power for towers in off-grid locations or where continuous grid power is not reliable. The developing-world market for these turbines is expected to be very large.
Journal: TechConnect Briefs
Volume: Technical Proceedings of the 2011 Clean Technology Conference and Trade Show
Published: June 13, 2011
Pages: 35 - 38
Industry sector: Energy & Sustainability
Topic: Sustainable Materials
ISBN: 978-1-4398-8189-7