Post by L Roebuck on Aug 7, 2007 0:11:32 GMT -5
Developers trying to harness Earth's energy in new way
The power of wind
By Allison Bruce
A Santa Barbara company may have a simple solution for wind energy -- all from taking a look at a different part of the plane.
While most wind turbines these days are built as propellers, Gene Kelley is convinced that wings are a better answer for capturing wind energy. Though the physics and work that has gone into his invention can get complex, the underlying concept of his "WindWing" is basic enough for a child to understand.
Anyone who has stuck a hand out of a car window has felt how the WindWing works. As the hand is tilted upward, the wind pushes the hand up. As it tilts downward, the wind pushes it down.
The resulting up-and-down motion, or oscillation, is what gives the WindWing its power.
Kelley, a flight buff with decades of aviation experience added to his work as a "human factors engineer," said the use of a wing as opposed to a propeller creates a simpler and more efficient way to capture the energy of the wind.
The wing concept could be applied to water as well. Kelley said it could apply to any flowing, fluid medium. For now, the company is focusing on the WindWing to prove the concept.
He filed a patent application in 2005 and is awaiting its approval.
Full Article
The power of wind
By Allison Bruce
A Santa Barbara company may have a simple solution for wind energy -- all from taking a look at a different part of the plane.
While most wind turbines these days are built as propellers, Gene Kelley is convinced that wings are a better answer for capturing wind energy. Though the physics and work that has gone into his invention can get complex, the underlying concept of his "WindWing" is basic enough for a child to understand.
Anyone who has stuck a hand out of a car window has felt how the WindWing works. As the hand is tilted upward, the wind pushes the hand up. As it tilts downward, the wind pushes it down.
The resulting up-and-down motion, or oscillation, is what gives the WindWing its power.
Kelley, a flight buff with decades of aviation experience added to his work as a "human factors engineer," said the use of a wing as opposed to a propeller creates a simpler and more efficient way to capture the energy of the wind.
The wing concept could be applied to water as well. Kelley said it could apply to any flowing, fluid medium. For now, the company is focusing on the WindWing to prove the concept.
He filed a patent application in 2005 and is awaiting its approval.
Full Article