Wind Dam

[fungus]

Was just sent this - be interesting if it did work but it would seem to disrupt the environment quite a bit..

http://www.bdonline.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=426&storycode=3098374&c=1

[feral air]

Read the second comment on that page, by 'Godfrey'.

What gets me; There's already a natural wind dam/funnel there - it's a freakin' gorge!

[2dumb2kwit]

 Dang........there goes my "funnel" idea, for the vawt challenge!

[tecker]

Quad Z cup

[wooferhound]

There goes my great idea to put a wind dam on the side of the house . . .

http://www.fieldlines.com/story/2003/7/7/92021/31636

[disaray1]

Athletic supporter.

[feral air]

I wouldn't dismiss the idea based on what 'Godfrey' said.

A couple sheets of plywood turned toward each other separated by a foot ought to be a fair test of the funnel concept. If the air coming out of the gap is faster than the wind going into the funnel then it works. I think it would work, it's just the practicality and the "balance" that you'd have to figure out.

As far as the linked plans go, I don't think it'll work as well as they think it will. It's decent 3D art but I think the air will tend to go around the dam and the hills instead of through the gorge like it would normally. The cowling on the outlet doesn't look like it'd help either.

IMHO, and all that. take it easy

[thefinis]

Hmmm seems like physics as I understand it would say that a stationary sail/wind dam would create low pressure on the down wind side and create higher pressure on the up wind side. Not quite the same as a water dam but still it is the difference in pressures that creates wind velocity. A sail in motion is moving into the low pressure so the pressure difference is reduced but most sails act like air foils not wind dams unless going exactly down wind.

I don't see the big advantage to this scheme unless you count it as art or sell add space on the sail. As was stated there is already a wind funnel in place so why not just make a BIG turbine or several big ones scattered up and down the gorge.

just my 2 cents

Finis

[richhagen]

As a matter of cost per KWH over the long term, including maintenance, I wonder which would win out, the big sail thing - wind dam, or a larger turbine.  Since I haven't seen these things built anywhere, I'm guessing that to this point, the larger turbine is the winner, but it is just a guess.  Rich

[finnsawyer]

Hmm?  I suggest putting a "wind dam" if you will, at the center of a wind turbine to enhance the air flow and capture more power and I get yawns.  Perhaps I need a slick web site with pretty pictures to engender interest.  Why go to a larger WT if you could get more power from the same size turbine by manipulating the air flow around the center?  A hemispherical "nose cone" placed before the blade plane will affect the air flow in a similar fashion to any other kind of structure placed before the blades.  It's advantage would be that it would be integral to the turbine and would turn with it.

[feral air]

A nose cone sounds like a decent idea to me. It would look like a propeller (if I'm imagining it right) but that could be cool.

I don't think it would boost the output much but for a few extra bucks...why not? take it easy

[finnsawyer]

It's not as simple as you might think.  When the air passes around the nose "cone" it speeds up.  That means you must change the twist and width of the blades for best results.  Check the following link for a discussion of the ideas involved:

    http://www.fieldlines.com/story/2007/7/30/12279/9859

[wooferhound]

Nose cones. Do they help or hinder?

http://www.fieldlines.com/story/2006/4/16/19438/9563