Looking for a tower? You may already have one !

[Norm]

No...No ! I'm not going to put a wind machine up

there ...because the whole tree is already a

wind machine....the tree splits into 3 or 4

seperate vertical branches...and do they ever

sway...in an 6-8 mph wind down here on the ground

...about 30 ft. up its about 2ft in diameter amd

it's moving at least 6 inches about 30 times a

minute...if a person were to screw a large eyebolt

into the branch...run a rope from there thru a

pulley at the peak of your house down to a one-way

clutch something like a recoil starter from an

old lawnmower even ....

    ( :>) Norm.

[kita]

hmm good idea, just like here- http://www.halfbakery.com/idea/TreePump#1065891600 and

http://www.halfbakery.com/idea/Piezoelectric_20Trees.

It suggests there was an indian implementation, but I haven't tracked it. A dutch man filed a patent for an electicty generating version using bamboo but all the info seems to be... in dutch. Mechanical wear in high winds and the unpredictability of wind direction seem to be the main problems.

still fun

[kita]

if you do happen to understand dutch here is the link http://www.kviv.be/Over/75jaar.html. The inventer's name is Jan Verbeeren, but since I can't find anything else on him it seems like the idea wasn't taken further.

[dinges]

Don't insult Belgians by calling them Dutch

Have quickly scanned the article, but you're not missing much here. Basically the 'use a tree to generate wind'. Flexing trees, some pullies, a generator. He even suggest growing a special energy-tree with the right characteristics. I remember having seen a similar idea discussed here a few weeks ago.

I've had better ideas when asleep.

Re-checked; the guy is actually a university-educated engineer. OMG.

No worries, you're not missing much. If you insist, try Babelfisch. I was going to translate at first, but it's just not worth my effort. Sorry.

Peter.

[dinges]

It's even worse; he has a Ph.D...

[Clifford]

I'd be very careful with the idea of connecting a tree that is swaying in the wind to the peak of your house.

I think I'd go with a bit longer wires and connect them to the GROUND.

Or, at least make sure that there is a break-away link in the system so that when the tree falls over (or you have a bigger gust than the system was designed for), it doesn't pull the house over too.

Or...  of course, there is the "Teathered Kayak Effect".  I actually saw this on a boating trip once...  at least the effects of it.  Someone loaded up the van with a couple of boats, then dropped one of the passengers and their boat off...   Apparently they forgot to retie the back rope on the kayak...  They took off, then at the first stop, they remembered their error as the kayak was launched forward, hit the end of the rope, and headed straight back through the windshield....

Ok, so you don't want to teather the branches of the tree so that if they do break off, the teather will swing them perfectly through your beautiful bay window.