wind turbines

I currently live in toronto
I plan to move and set-up shop on the north coast.
My new wind turbine design is rated at 10kw, stand alone+battery charging
availability. Special mesh to prevent bird killing provided. Good wind site
essential. Facing north, northeast into the ocean is ideal. I performed
numerous testing at cabarete, sosua and playa grande with favorable
results and good wind speed. Hill tops also suitable.
I like to hear from DR residents any comments about the power solution
using wind power. Thank you.

Gregg said:

how will you handle the hurricanes? what kind of towers would you use? would the unit have to be dismantled during the hurricane season?

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Hi Gregg, nice to here from you.

This new design of turbine will operate up to 120 km/hr winds. No furling
will occur. A metal damper will slide over the entire machine to protect
against hurricanes. This device will reset to position once wind is back
to 120 km/hr or less. Self-protection of the turbine is critical. The home
owner will have peace of mind even if he/she is vacationing abroad.

Minimum height required is 35 feet. Towers can be metal or concrete.
Flat concrete roof of highrise buildings can also be a good "tower".

The prototype is tested here in Toronto and testing is to continue
all winter for durability against high winds, rain, snow, airborne debris etc.

Thanks for your questions.

Toronto2inDR said:

How much do the cost...here in the DR?

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Hello to you Toronto2inDR,

Retail pricing not yet determined. Turbine is still at testing facility in
Toronto.
Will post price as soon as product is available for production.
Please review replies issued today for more details of this turbine.
Feel free to ask more questions. I will be happy to respond, thanks.

gmiller261 said:

More technical information and pictures.

I?d be in the market for a smaller 1Kw model with 10' diameter rotor.

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Hi gmiller261,

I will be in pop on Nov 15, 2004. Lets meet.
Contact=809-952-3394.

A 1KW turbine is good for battery charging only. The cost of this turbine is
small but can not power large appliances such as a/c, fridge, dishwasher,
electric range, electric water heater etc.
10 KW turbine can do all of the above and still charge batteries for low or
no wind days. The lack of electricity supply in the DR must be overcome
with the proper long term solution of a stand alone wind turbine.

Having electric power 24 hrs in the DR is not a luxury, is a MUST.

Regards,
Georgios.

sjh said:

looking for a turbine myself. 500W to 1.5KW depending on price and tower requirements...

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Hi Shadley,

500w-1500w is a good battery charging device.

Many people regret the fact that after installing the above rated turbine,
decided to upgrade within one year. The cost of this small system was
lost. The tower was not suitable for a larger turbine, the controller could
not be fitted either. Misc wiring, chargers, breakers etc where also too
small for the larger machine.

The cost of this new 10 KW turbine is not yet determined. When testing
is completed I will be posting all related info to DR1 website.

Thanks for your interest, talk to you soon.

Argo said:

I was recently in Germany and saw some very large tyrbines. One was being repaired and they had one blade laying on three (3) 13 meter trailer beds and it still extended. Have you any idea the output and physical dimensions of these things? I see them in groups of 30-40 all over Southern Germany

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Hi there Argo,

The german turbines you saw in Germany range from 600KW to 1.5MW.
A typical 600KW turbine cost $1.2 Million canadian and it can power
approx 250 average homes using 36 km/hr wind. The tower is usually
80 meters high and the swept area is 2,500 sq mts.

This kind of turbines are designed to connect to the local grid, are
privately owned and operated by large private generation companies.

Regards, Georgios.

other means of storing power

Hi from georgios,

My new designed wind turbine will "fire-up" the
whole house and some. It can be connected to
existing battery systems that many people have
right now in their homes/businesses.

Battery storage has some drawbacks;
1. Lifetime 3 years.
2. If charge drops below 20% risk of damaging cells.
3. Very low amperes stored.
4. Slow recharge time.
5. Expensive, old tech and heavy.

Others ways of storing kinetic energy is using air
compressor to dump loads instead of commercial
heaters. The stored compressed air can be used
during low or no wind days to power an air motor
coupled to a conventional generator, controlled
to power the house on demand(will not run if not
needed).

A large air vessel, buried into the ground, at 1550 psi
can power the house for 3-4 days depending on
consumption.

Furthermore, via electrolysis excess power produced
from the wind turbine can yield hydrogen. This gas
is the fuel of the future for autos, cooking and
heating. It burns just like propane with no emmisions.

Compressing air and hydrogen production as means
of storing energy are tested also by us, here in
Toronto. I think batteries are a thing of the past.

Solar panels can compliment the turbine(hybrid system). An array of 16 is propably a nice package.
Price wise, solar panels are costly with low production. This high cost is why not many people
have invested in them.

Have fun, see you.

veinard said:

Hi,
sounds quite reasonable what you state regarding alternative opportunities to store energy instead of using batteries. Can you provide an idea, a range how expensive your suggested solution would be ?! At least a comparison in percentage between a conventional battery system and your solution ?!

Still, if I got it right, your solution is dedicated to serve private housholds ?! And what about similar solutions on a bigger scale, e.g. to serve SMEs ?! Again, if feasible at least a comparison in percentage regarding start up cost, life cycle cost such as maintenance and cost for disposal might be helpful ...

Benny

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hi Benny,
Air storage vessel size to vary for small or larger applications.
Itemized see below cost.
1. Air motor 10 HP $600 US.
2. Standard 7.5 kw generator motor $985 US. (marathon motors USA).
3. Air vessel in metal or concrete underground by local labour
and materials approx $3000 US.
4. Air compressor two stage $1300 US.
5. Misc connections (wiring, air tubing, fittings etc.) $300 US.
TOTAL COST $6,185 US.

All the above components have, with proper maintenance, 10 years
lifetime or more. As a result the yearly cost is $618 US.

The performance of this storage arrangement is:
a. Complete stand alone home.
b. All electrical devices are powered 100%.
c. Power supply for 3-4 days depending on consumption.
d. More time to play, less to worry about battery charge levels.
e. Enviro friendly.
f. 100% reliable. The ice will never melt in the fridge.

I believe this air storage system may even cost less than batteries
on the long run. Your friends will love it as much as you when
you invite them for dinner. They would be very interested to
see how you have power all the time and they do not.

Hope you agree, talk to you again soon.
georgios.

Camden Tom said:

Georgios, Put me on you're list of people that want to know more. When do you expect to have marketable results and pricing?

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Hi Camden Tom,
Please read my response to Benny today, it may be of some
interest to you. Testing will take approx 6 months. Be sure, I will
post all results, details, pricing etc as the become available from
the engineers.Promise.
Thanks, Georgios.