Empire State of Mind: Wind Turbines Reaching Beyond the Ordinary
Wind turbines are reaching new heights.
When the wind blows is an accurate statement about wind energy. However, despite the inconsistency of obtaining energy from the wind, we can’t help but be awed by the towering white structures that line the distant horizon. In the possibly near future, we may need to glance a little higher outside of our car windows to see the new design of wind turbines currently in the research phase.
Most turbines currently have blades that are less than 60.96 meters (200 feet) in length. With the design-in-progress, the traditional tri-blade turbine could be tossed aside for a design based off on a pattern in nature, as has done with many other innovations. The blades would be 198 m (650 ft) long, face downward, and have the ability to fan out like a flower. As when flowers contract their petals during less ideal conditions, this turbine would have the capability to do the same.
None of this may be as impressive as the skyscraper-reaching goal that the researchers have for this project: wind turbines that reach a height of 479.76 m (1,574 ft.) — a full 266.4 m (874 ft.) higher than current turbines. These turbines would be taller than the Empire State Building (even including the antenna spire).
The turbines would also have the ability to produce 50 megawatts of energy — compared to just 1.5–3.0 MW for regular on-shore turbines.
The problem immediately thought of was the transportation of the turbines. If research progresses far enough actually to conduct trials, the parts of the turbine would be hauled separately. A problem that the turbines would fix is the high price of turbines. Currently, commercial wind turbines cost between $3–4 billion dollars. Once these turbines become built in the future for a price of even $20 billion dollars, the price for current turbines would decrease by 60%. Wind energy would be made more feasible and would encourage a sway in public opinion for wind energy and even other renewable energies.
Whether you think that wind turbines kill more birds than anything else (consider: max deaths by wind turbine was 368,000 compared to 3.7 billion by cats in a study), it’s important to remember the purpose of wind turbines: decrease dependency on fossil fuels and reduce the threat of climate change. Therefore, while many birds do die from wind turbines, this is nothing compared to the potential loss of 95% of their current ranges of habitat.
Every day we seem to be getting closer to leaving behind fossil fuels forever. Let’s keep innovating and studying nature.
References:
Hodgkins, K. (2016, March 22). Wind turbines of the future could dwarf the Empire State Building. Retrieved April 02, 2016, from http://www.digitaltrends.com/cool-tech/mega-wind-turbine/
McDonald, M. (2016, March 21). New Wind Turbines Taller Than The Empire State Building | OilPrice.com. Retrieved April 02, 2016, from http://oilprice.com/Energy/Energy-General/New-Wind-Turbines-Taller-Than-The-Empire-State-Building.html
Rice, D. (2014). Hundreds of bird species at risk due to climate change. Retrieved April 02, 2016, from http://www.usatoday.com/story/weather/2014/09/08/climate-change-birds-audubon-society/15299231/
