process

just attempting to get the settings right for rhino after it crashed last night. Lost all tools and V ray light settings. Couple of cool images from both straight viewport print and renders. Am really liking this mesh.

piston development

next phase is to create the piston and crank for the two shafts - see further posts for preliminary concept sketches.

internal structure around shaft

using boolean difference to create the centre of the turbine - reminds me a lot of the aerospoke wheels that you can get on bicycles

SECTION

- a section of the piston, the panels for the turbine and the structural aesthetic mesh.

process renders

two main components of the turbine the mesh as the structure and the solid panels that are rotated by the wind. a close up of the mesh structure is rather interesting... stay tuned for how the all go together...

pdfs of structure

one with section of turbine - note the blades face the wind where as the back panels are much more stream lined. this allows for a constant clockwise rotation no matter what way the wind is coming from and a simpler mechanical system.

process - autocad

The turbine which is held up by the bone like mesh structure behind. the tendril like structure holds little resistance to the wind and hence the canvas clad turbines are the primary element influenced by the wind.

process - autocad

process - autocad turbine elements

the images on the post below are as follows, in order of production:

- creating building using twist (perspective)

- creating building using twist (plan)

- adding transparent material and colour

- making electrical cables

- adding electrical cables

the images on this post are :

- creating the shaft

- adding the shaft to the scene

Process work - supporting tower

Just in the early stages of creating the tower which will support my turbine. A rather generic and indicative tower, it will offer a glimpse into the cables and infrastructure that will drive and harness the turbines energy. The building could also act as an educational device in terms of sustainability and in particular wind energy. Created in Rhino using very basic strategies ( rather complex for me however) involving the twist tool, boolean difference and material editing. the idea is to create a building that faces the building on the opposite side of the road. traffic and pedestrians will glimpse the turbine from below and the power created by such a turbine will run that particular block of buildings. This turbine could be mimicked along the road to produce free energy for the entire CBD.

I am still having some trouble with creating an appropriate blade to catch the wind. I will start some detail drawings of a proposed piston system that will utilise weights and pulleys as well as the wind power to maximise the rotation even in light winds. Think I will go along the direction of providing a bone like structure on which can be mounted a series of sails or canvas.

ducted turbine

A company named Marquiss Wind Power has successfully finished raising $1.3 million for development of its Ducted Wind Turbines. Unlike their much larger counterparts, ducted turbines are boxy and stand about 19ft tall. Despite what appears to be aerodynamic disadvantages, this shape actually allows the turbine to re-orient itself according to the direction of air flow; something that can be a bit random in urban centers. The ducting is intended to increase wind speed as it approaches the blades. According to the website, these factors combine to allow the power output from the MWP turbine to exceed that of any traditionally designed comparable turbine. From the article,

At the moment, two models are sold — one intended for areas with wind speeds of 6-10 mph, and another for higher average speeds. The turbines are intended for buildings between one and three stories tall.

It sure ain’t elegant — but there’s a lot of science at play with this design. I especially like that AeropointT500 can operate in low wind speeds. I have no ideas on price — but hopefully that $1.3 million will go a long way to fleshing this product out a bit more. - http://www.groovygreen.com/groove/wp-content/uploads/2008/01/ducted.jpg

v wing turbine

he newly formed Energy Technologies Institute (ETI) has begun its search for green technology energy solutions in Britain this week. Britain’s Science and Innovation Minister, Lord Drayson, announced the first four recipients of funding from ETI. Among them is the funding for research and development of the V-wing Turbine. The V-wing Turbine is a massive and unconventional wind turbine that uses a large pair of vertical wings to generate wind energy.

Along with the V-wing turbine, the other funding recipients include research into a floating offshore wind turbine for use in away from the coast in the ocean -http://www.windpowerninja.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/v-wing-wind-turbine.jpg

rhino scripts and v-ray

Exploring Rhino scripts in order to gain a form that is good for capturing wind and acts as a form that can be multiplied a number of times that interlock and spin independently yet may cause each other to spin around the connecting cylinder through a mechanical system. Therefore when the wind is not as strong they continue to spin much like a pendulum using a series of weights that pull the connecting system around.

Also these pictures show the difference in rendering techniques. Previous blogs were created using the generic Rhino4.0 renderer. These meshes and views of the city were rendered using the v-ray plugin. They create much better shadows. A rather more complex setup method is required but once one model is created you can simply import your next model into the correct environment. The options of selecting the appropriate sun in terms of where the model is located is also very helpful.

proposal

Experimenting with a number of forms and placing them between the proposed buildings for the wind turbine.

Giant Wind Turbines

Currents in Upper Air Form Unfailing Source of Power for “Windmills” of Future

WIND, at the surface of the earth, is proverbially uncertain; but recent researches show that, a thousand feet or more above the ground, wind is comparatively steady and unfailing. This has given new life to the hope of finding a substantial source of natural power, even more universally available than water power; and the designs illustrated here have been prepared by a German engineer, Honnef, the erector of several huge radio towers. As shown here, the structure carrying the power plant would be higher than any other building man has yet been able to erect.

The surveys which have been made in Germany show that, with little variation, wind velocities of 22 miles an hour are quite constant at the height illustrated. To utilize this most effectively, instead of small wheels, it is proposed to erect on each wind-turbine tower three power wheels, each 530 feet in diameter. The whole weight is so counterbalanced on bearings that it faces the wind; while the angle at which the wheels encounter the air currents is depending upon the velocity of the wind. If this is very high, as in a storm, they present their edges only; if the currents of air are light, the wheels take a vertical position, as illustrated in the detail at the lower right of our illustration. The wheel will begin to rotate in a breeze of but 4 miles an hour and, because of its great inertia, will turn steadily.

The method of generating the power is unique. Instead of gearing the great wheels to a generator, as in previous construction, each wheel is itself made the rotor of a great electrical generator. The rings are double; the armature and field coils are built into the outer and inner rings, respectively; and the output is fed into a distributing system, which has the necessary transformers and converters. The inventor plans 40,000-volt direct-current transmission lines. The cost of each 30,000-horsepower unit is estimated at $1,100,000; delivering 130,000,000 kilowatt hours a year with slight cost for maintenance.

The first experimental tower to be erected is to be 665 feet high, with 200-foot turbine wheels, and located near Berlin." From Everyday Science and Mechanics, June 1932

alternative

Alternative type of mesh but another view from the northern part of the street. Don't like them as much.