British architects Grimshaw and engineers Arup have unveiled this design for an offshore wind turbine and possibly the the most powerful.
Could our future oceans have thousands of these 885-foot-wide structures? It’s an interesting thought, but the engineering needed to commercialize these wind turbines seems immense.
The video above is the new Aerogenerator X Vertical Axis Wind Turbine. This new design in wind turbines it to be completed by 2014 and instead of using a traditional vertical structure, it will rotate horizontally.
The design for British company Wind Power would produce twice as much power and have half the weight of the company’s current design. It’s about 10 megawatts per hour. It would take about 50 these to replace a typical coal plant. Hey but it’s a start right?
Top and above images are by Grimshaw
Wind Power Limited had this to say:
“The Aerogenerator X is considered one of the only real alternative solutions available to help deliver the UK’s offshore wind strategy in a reliable and cost effective manner. It does not have the same weight constraints as a normal wind turbine and the blades do not suffer weight-induced fatigue. This new design is half the height of an equivalent horizontal-axis turbine and its weight is concentrated at the base of the structure.”
Above diagram is by Arup. Click for larger image.
What do you think? Will we see these bizarre looking wind turbines in our future oceans?
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