The Turby is a brand of
vertical-axis Darrieus wind turbine
The Darrieus wind turbine is a type of vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT) used to generate electricity from wind energy. The turbine consists of a number of curved aerofoil blades mounted on a rotating shaft or framework. The curvature of the bla ...
. The three vertical aerofoil blades have a helical twist of 60 degrees, similar to
Gorlov's water turbines.
The turbine consists of three vertical symmetrical
airfoil
An airfoil (American English) or aerofoil (British English) is the cross-sectional shape of an object whose motion through a gas is capable of generating significant lift, such as a wing, a sail, or the blades of propeller, rotor, or tur ...
blades, each having a
helical
Helical may refer to:
* Helix
A helix () is a shape like a corkscrew or spiral staircase. It is a type of smooth space curve with tangent lines at a constant angle to a fixed axis. Helices are important in biology, as the DNA molecule is ...
twist. The helical feature spreads the
torque
In physics and mechanics, torque is the rotational equivalent of linear force. It is also referred to as the moment of force (also abbreviated to moment). It represents the capability of a force to produce change in the rotational motion of t ...
evenly over the entire revolution, thus preventing the destructive pulsations of the straight-bladed giromill (Darrieus turbine). The wind pushes each blade around on both the windward and
leeward
Windward () and leeward () are terms used to describe the direction of the wind. Windward is ''upwind'' from the point of reference, i.e. towards the direction from which the wind is coming; leeward is ''downwind'' from the point of reference ...
sides of the turbine. As with a Darrieus turbine, theoretically, there is no torque on a stationary turbine, due to symmetry of the turbine and of the blades. Starting is achieved by operating the generator as a motor. Torque is caused by a change in the apparent wind direction relative to the moving blades.
Another advantage of the helical twist is that the blades generate torque well from upward-slanting airflow. This is negligible in open country, but tall buildings and cliff faces generate a bow wave which directs airflow up and over them. Turbines mounted on high building rooftops or clifftops are exposed to significantly slanting flow, and the Turby can extract more useful energy from it than a propeller-type turbine can because
horizontal axis
A Cartesian coordinate system (, ) in a plane is a coordinate system that specifies each point uniquely by a pair of numerical coordinates, which are the signed distances to the point from two fixed perpendicular oriented lines, measured in ...
(HAWT) types cannot change their pitch to face the wind directly.
The turbine measures 2.0 m (6'7") in diameter by 2.9 m (9'6") high (including generator), and weighs 136 kg (300 lb). It is specified to generate power in winds of between 4 m/s (9 mph, 7.8kts) and 14 m/s (31 mph, 27.2kts), and can survive winds of 55 m/s (123 mph, 107kts). The rated power at 14 m/s is 2.5 kW (3.35 hp).
The AC output from the synchronous generator is rectified to DC, then inverted to AC at 230 V 50 Hz.
Core International
Core International, Inc., commonly referred to as Core, was a multinational computer and technology corporation headquartered in Boca Raton, Florida, United States.
The company is now part of Sony and no longer exists as stand-alone identity. Th ...
developed the turbine in the
Netherlands
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with research input from the
Delft University of Technology
Delft University of Technology ( nl, Technische Universiteit Delft), also known as TU Delft, is the oldest and largest Dutch public technical university, located in Delft, Netherlands. As of 2022 it is ranked by QS World University Rankings among ...
.
See also
*
List of wind turbine manufacturers
This is a list of notable wind turbine manufacturers and businesses that manufacture major wind turbine components.
Small wind turbine manufacturers
* Bornay (Spain)
* Enessere (Italy)
* Hi-VAWT (Taiwan)
* quietrevolution (United Kingdom) ...
*
Distributed generation
Distributed generation, also distributed energy, on-site generation (OSG), or district/decentralized energy, is electrical generation and storage performed by a variety of small, grid-connected or distribution system-connected devices referred t ...
*
Net metering
Net metering (or net energy metering, NEM) is an electricity billing mechanism that allows consumers who generate some or all of their own electricity to use that electricity anytime, instead of when it is generated. This is particularly importa ...
*
Betz' law
References
* Story about Turby
* {{cite web, url=http://www.europeanenergyfair.com/download_07/Session%205_PC%201/Website_Turby.pdf , title= Turby >35%, website=European Energy Fair
External links
Turby b.v.
Vertical axis wind turbines