One of the innovations that seeks to take advantage of renewable energy sources is a micro wind turbine designed to imitate the shape and movement of a tree. This invention comes from a French startup called New World Wind and is presented as a “wind tree” that incorporates variously colored “Aeroleafs” in its branches, which are small vertical axis wind turbines.
According to the technical information provided, the wind tree is a steel structure, which represents the trunk and branches, with a height of 9.8 meters and a width of 7.2 meters on which 36 Aeroleafs are distributed.
Each is about 3 feet tall and includes a double blade with a leaf-shaped vertical shaft and a synchronous microgenerator with permanent magnets. These components generate alternating current, which is subsequently rectified to convert it into direct current.
It is important to note that each wind tree has an installed capacity of 10,800 watts, with a nominal power of 5,868 watts, distributed over 36 Aeroleafs, providing 300 watts for each leaf. These trees are designed to be compact, making them easy to install in urban areas without the need for significant engineering work.
Building a turbine requires only one bracket and three bolts after installation. Its small size helps avoid some problems associated with larger turbines, such as bird strikes.
Additionally, the rotation of the Aeroleafs is carried out without generating noise thanks to a direct drive mechanism, without belt or gear, specifically designed to capture even the weakest and most turbulent winds. New World Wind has taken its innovation a step further by developing a high-performance photovoltaic petal, integrated into each leaf of the Aeroleaf. At the bottom of each leaf are small solar panels attached to the petal, allowing the Aeroleaf Hybrid technology to constantly generate power in two modes.
About the “wind tree” design
The innovative design of the Aeroleaf Hybrid takes inspiration from nature, marking it as a unique alternative to conventional wind turbines and solar platforms. This tree-shaped energy-generating structure has been carefully designed to blend harmoniously with green and urban environments, giving the impression of having grown naturally in its location.
The Aeroleaf’s versatility allows it to be easily mounted on various surfaces such as roofs, balconies or poles, capturing even the gentlest breezes to generate green and sustainable electricity. New World Wind has incorporated three design features that enable the inclusion or elimination of attached solar panels, giving it exceptional versatility. The combination of a standard Aeroleaf with a solar petal allows the generation of electricity from both wind and solar sources, thus optimizing its production and efficiency. Additionally, the design of the blades and panels has been optimized to operate effectively in low light and wind conditions.
Likewise, Aéroleaf sheets offer a variety of colors that can be customized to coordinate with your company’s corporate tones or with the surrounding street furniture. The choice of color of the Tree’s trunks and branches is also available, providing flexibility to meet the preferences of residents of your municipality or visitors to your business. In addition, various options are provided to suit specific needs, such as charging terminals, decontamination sheets or USB banks.
The company plans to launch a new design this month with the goal of tripling the Aeroleaf’s power output. This improved design will allow each blade to generate up to 1,000 kWh per year, which would result in a maximum annual production of 36,000 kWh for the 36-blade WindTree, considering a wind speed of 12 m/s.
However, wind conditions are unlikely to remain consistently high throughout the year. Therefore, under regular conditions with a wind speed of 8 m/s, a WindTree has the capacity to generate approximately 18,000 kWh per year, enough to supply the energy needs of a home with four residents. This could result in a significant reduction of more than 12 tonnes in a home’s annual CO 2 emissions.
These turbines have the capacity to supply energy continuously seven days a week, 24 hours a day . The surplus energy generated can be stored in batteries with a total capacity of 60 Ah, equivalent to approximately 45 minutes to one hour under normal conditions. Each tree has four batteries. To date, the company has installed 130 units in various locations around the world, spanning from Europe and the United States to South Korea.
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Source: inceptivemind.com
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