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Yes! I think Ventum would do very well to pick a few standard sizes and mass produce them to get the costs onto a learning curve. That's how you land geometric price improvements over time. I'd LOVE to see a little one of these on every light post, telephone, and electric pole!!
@mookiemorjax Imagine that, hundreds of thousands of these working in unison. Those are dangerous thoughts. It almost as if you'd remove the fear of a central power attack and go green all at the same time. No, I've got to stop yee, before it's too late.
Generation of energy via any abundant untapped existing source is a win regardless of losses, since wind is created by the uneven heating of the planet it's a solar driven process and as show can be easily built and remain mostly passive, some farm land with a wall of these charging a battery bank would be nice and excess generation could be used to heat a sand battery that a heating system could use to heat ducted air off of like a cars heating system
I love your videos. You give practical applications for the laws of physics and you present them in an easily understandable format. These should be atop every building in cities to diversify the grid, and to lessen the load on the grid.
What i really like about this is that when its rotating the wind is "lifting" the turbine against gravity which should in turn place less weight and friction on the bearings ,if this means faster speed and less required maintenance then i feel its a winner on soo many levels!! Love your work Rob!!🤓🙌💫
Love your shows, sir! You do love your generators, and I appreciate that. One thing you do *not* talk about...the dirty little secret of the Green Energy movement. Those gigantic wind turbine blades - they do not last long....the blades wear out rather quickly, more so as they get larger. Given that they are made of composites, and mostly Carbon Fiber, and none of them are *recyclable* , the worn out blades do tend to be trucked off and dumped *where no-one can see them* . This, in itself, is an argument against BIGGER - and for other methods of turbine generation, and power generation in general. Keep up the good work sir!
Modern blades are composed of half fiberglass and carbon and are recyclable into fiberglass and synthetic gas, which is already being commercially done.
This also improves on the wind-catcher cooling ventilation system seen in Iran (aka badgir). If the bottom of this wind catcher is places on top of a chimney, it will help draw warm air up and out of the home. In times of low wind, the turbine may be run as a motor to cool the home still. Best for dry climates where a humidity difference between inside and outside the climate-controlled area is not priority. Although perhaps the darwin might still have utility for flowing air across air conditioner coils in a closed-window home without inside-outside air exchange, but that's likely not an important use case since power is needed continuously to run the air compressor motor and continuous air flow across the coils is needed
These types are good because they can easily be mounted on the top of flats, shopping centres, schools, etc where it is just impossible to put the tall windmill style ones.
Well done Rob, it does remember me of our trip to England and Scotland in our Mobile Home Van driving all around in the lovely lake district and later in the highlands... Nice trip.❤❤❤
I Remember watching sea lions on the Shore line in northern England, but I don't remember anymore where exactly it was.. But it was just great and also really windy there... So these new Wind turbines could really help 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻❤️❤️❤️
Hahaha, this is so amazing! I'm actually now applying for a job at one of those offshore wind farms as a maintenance service tech😁 Please keep your fingers crossed 😊 And as personally i much preffer your idea about much more small and local units, I think it would be an amazing experience to find out how those bigh things work.
This is the one I have always liked wind concentrating devices. Reduce the dynamic stresses and the size of the moving parts. This one also has the advantage that if the actual turbine fails and flies apart it is contained in a structure.
We are living in a very good times indeed Robert. The number of improvements are really just impressive for the wind turbines. This will definitely give humanity the upper hand over the fossil fuel industry for sure. Way to go fella with the great news .... Thanks ....
Looking at the design, I wonder if a track bearing mounted snorkel mounted on top would increase the pressure differential across the rotating member. Thinking you've got a structurally sound parabolic venturi array to collect and redirect the captured air vertically through the turbine blades. The effective pressure on the turbine blades is a direct effect of the velocity of the captured air mass. Let's say just for giggles, that at sea level, the collector processes 3500 cubic meters of air at 30 kg/sq, meter input pressure as measured at the turbine blades. A snorkel in the wind would act as a venturi; increasing the pressure differential across the blades thereby increasing the overall torque to overcome starting and loaded resistance.
Hey Robert, love what you do and am inspired every video! Didn't quite know how to reach you ohterwise. I noticed that you're quite light hearted about sharing locations and where you film. I appreciate how open you are and that you're just thinking about taking us along the journey with you. Just do be careful with the size of your fanbase (and especialy where I think you're going fanbase wise), most are careful not to share things that can lead strangers who feel like they know you to your home. (Feel free to delete my comment when you've read it ;) )
You mean like, pancake the funnel sections together? Maybe with some kind of scissor mechanism it could be done in one piece, but I'm pretty sure those 4 solid sheet metal vanes around it serve an aerodynamic purpose. Maybe you could make something that snaps together...
What sort of outputs were they getting at Skegness Pier? One of the various wind power operators in 2015 used this concept with a bunch of one meter diameter turbines stacked in the gathered flow. and even then the idea looked pretty sane- I don't think that company survived itself- but having a great idea and actually bringing it to market, price point and all of that.
RMT, heat loss from roads and buildings will be generally higher. Putting a row of DWTs above the road or buiilding would create a draft, bringing a breeze from the sides to remove the waste heat. The town would get cooler and produce electricity from waste heat. Win - Win! Cheers!
Yes. Sorry, but this sounds like an advert for Ventum. I've thoroughly scanned their websites. No real field test data to be found. None. Thats a big red flag right there. I'm willing to bet that installation will eventually be removed. Or vandalised... 😉
Memories of catching the train to Herne Bay to work on the old pier skate rink.. :) Anyway back to the topic.. I wonder if there’s any mileage in an appropriate sized device to sit atop our chimney. I’m aware there’s potential limitations regarding height that might cause issues but seems less invasive than a traditional turbine..
@martinsmallridge4025 Kindly do not mount on said chimney as it will probably cause the chimney to fall and break the turbine as well. If that doesn't happen the chimney heat along Will set it on fire or burn out the generator.
@@reypolice5231 Obviously I'd check the actual stresses for the chimney and we don't use any fires for our chimney now as it's kind of common sense here but I take your points..
@@martinsmallridge4025 A brick chimney will require reinforcement, since there will always be an upwards pull on the windward side, and mortar doesn't handle any appreciable pull. It must be feasible, though: We have setups of that nature on several 19th century buildings' chimneys (chimnies? Ech, grammar) in Denmark 😉
@@ThinkingandTinkering This morning, the damage caused by Vandals was inspected to ensure there were no wider issues. Fortunately, the inspection has been completed, and the problems have been resolved. 😊
@@ravir8354 thank you for taking the time to post mate - it s awesome to know - shame i missed it turning it would have been icing on the cake so to speak - but it is super impressive non the less - cheers
What happened to the Ventum Dynamics wind turbine at the end of the Skegness pier in Skegness, England? A November 2023 video showed a rope tied to the wind turbine blades, which prevented the blades from turning. An April 2024 video showed that the turbine had been removed from the pier.
Thank you for the uplifting video. The vest and pocket watch was fun to see. The casual English attire. I guess they only turn it turbine on at night to light the lights, no back up batteries I guess.
I really think that this type of wind collector/ generator would work especially well set back a little bit on industrial rooftops. There are so many unused square feet/meters of space that are completely out of public view that can be used for unobtrusive power generation. You could conceivably attach them to large squares of material to keep them in place and run cabling supported off the deck with smaller sealed materials that could just be set on the roof and have a no drilling installation with properly spread weight distribution causing no roof damage, essentially overcoming any logical arguments building owners might have against something like this. I think it could really have a chance especially given that businesses are actively trying to reduce their environmental impact.
I believe the one featured in this vid was placed specifically to gather such data. I don't know if it will be available publically. However, Rob has made videos featuring various iterations of a small model and comparison with standard designs and I believe there will be more.
The disadvantage is the size and weight of the wind turbine with this design. You solve the directional issue but adding a huge amount of additional materials that also cost money. Additionally you are capturing a lot of wind so your structure has be be very very sturdy to survive harsh wind conditions.
Bigger isn’t always better as Siemens Energy have found out . They have a catastrophic failure of their bearings and blades . It’s wiped a third off their market value . Maybe Rob could fill the energy requirements
Perhaps using a swivel or a dome anchored above the fan not only protect it from the ring, hail and snow, but can use the venturi effect. Yes a swivel dome tilted forward about 15° to 30° , adjustable maybe? With a stylish wind vein to direct it. Could mount on a lazy Susan berring Then not only using the pressure and but also the vaccum drawing the wind threw. A bulging wing and put an elevation and trim tabs too they could help? Not sure...
Having pondered the benefits and disadvantages of both an Upflow Darwin Turbine and a Downflow one, I am thinking that the Upflow is the easiest and most secure. By the simple fact that the wind it captures shoves it harder into the ground, rather than trying to turn it into a heavy kite.
Ventum had other same style wind catchers set up over a year ago and still no published results. Wind turbines are designed for using the kinetic energy from the wind. In my mind, any time the wind is diverted in another direction some kinetic energy will be taken out of the wind. I'm still a skeptic when it comes to wind collectors for adding energy. There is a lot of evidence that wind blockers for the upwind side of a savonius VAWT do help. The question is: for the small gain are they worth the trouble?
How big could these go , if mounted on a barge or floating platform either in estuaries, coastal or off shore , And are you olanning on combining one of these with a vertical Archimedes screw ?
Hey Robert - why can't these be bought commertially - ive been lookimng for years - and they don't seem to be any closer today as they werer back then?
I don't know if you will see this post, but I just had a thought. What about turning the Darwin turbine upside down? You could possible get it to generate power just by the rain that would fall on the blades. Of course that is when is it raining. Could even be a slight boost when the wind is moving as well.
Love this Wind Catcher VAWT Darwin system. Would you consider devising two connected and opposite direction Darwin turbines - one facing up connected to one facing down?
Dear Robert, Great a day out,Thank you Racking my brain how to make one out of plastic barrels I am going to film a short sequence and upload In short order (could be fortnight,) Harvest time etc Showing the motors, plastic barrels, plastic pipe, the telegraph pole, the location,my dad perhaps and get real about this project. Enjoying my brain away from the past Standby Don’t hold your breath Henry
@RobertMurraySmith >>> FWIW, while watching this video I recalled something, which I HOPE I am remembering correctly, from a science fiction novel I read years ago. I _think_ it was a novelization from the first season {series} of the 1970s British science fiction TV show *SPACE: 1999.* In the novelization someone briefly discusses a type of wind collection tower for channeling wind through a vertical axis wind turbine. I also think _"Grumman Aerospace"_ was mentioned, but I am not sure. {I have all the first season novelizations. I need to go back through them all and verify this.} Some years after reading this I found the patent online that details this wind capture system. Unfortunately, I later read online this type of system does not work as well as originally thought. I am NOT an engineer, so I cannot say for certain if that is correct or not.
Hi, So what if we stack multiple devices on top of each other? Will we get benefit of caught wind from wind capture from the bottom to the top? Will second wind capture create vacuum for the bottom one?
Ive heard criticism that turbines in urban environments are so inefficient due to inconsistent wind speeds, that its almost not worth the effort. To get around it, you need to mount the turbine at least twice as high as the nearest tall structure. So, twice the height of the roof, if it is mounted on one. This is to get consistent, high speed wind. And given that power output is more or less cubed in relation to wind speed, it does make sense. What are your thoughts? Is there a way to overcome this challenge to make urban turbines worthwhile?
This got me thinking... Would it be beneficial to hade one or two more of the "collector rings" above the fan too, to make sure that we get a low pressure above the blades, improving efficiency?
Robert, again, you have presented an excellent historical overview of the Darwin Wind Turbine. I would like you to now research and also talk about the pros and cons of "Industrial Rotating Roofing Turbine Ventilators" (Google Search) for outdoor sheds. Mine have been spinning every day for over 15 years with maximum or minimum wind speed to keep the air inside the sheds from becoming stagnant. These compact turbines seem to be perfect for their durability and ease of modification to make a generator. Take a look at them! Their ball shape allows wind, from any direction, to spin them easily.
An ARCHIMEDES and DARWIN becomes ONE. Thats what I want to see tested.Up north where I live, snow and ice are problematic for the Archimedes. The Darwin would house and protect with an added slant roof mounted on the top. Plus the Darwin would amplify wind movement on those slow 1m days. YES PUT THOSE TWO TOGEATHER.
So how close to this device can you scale it in a slightly smaller version without a "patent infringement". I have a large breezy field just waiting for something like this one. BTW do we have any information on the performance?
There's another advantage with a horizontally mounted turbine, which is the lack of gravitational shear force on the entire assembly. When you pivot a fan into an upright position, the entire thing is balancing on its axis, not being pulled downward, like a vertical mount is. With the right engineering, that turbine could literally be floating free of any contact points at all. No wind = the turbine rests on its base. Wind = the turbine lifts and begins to rotate. Think ping-pong ball on a shop vac with the flow reversed... Bernoulli's Principle.
I must be the only impatient bugger on this board I’m itching for Robert to complete this wind turbine project. ASAP. No disrespect I love this guy but I swear he’s got ADHD puts my 5 year old to shame. Let’s finish this project
I am sorry mate but the point of this channel isn't to finish a project so others can copy - it is to try and explore the science so others can create there own projects - the reason for that is everyone is different
And why exactly are you not mentionning ground effects (terrain rugosity), especially in urban or semi-urban environments, that completely hinder steadiness of incoming winds ? (and that's precisely why this test one is out to the sea on the pier and not closer to the city on the ground) Which then makes those kind of wind capture systems & associated turbines lose some if not all of their advantage in terms of intemittency of power output for broader adoption. Also, the power output of a turbine is directly dependant not only to cubic incoming wind speed, but also to the square radius of the area of capture so if you're too limited in scaling it up radius wise you'd have to have it accelerate wind a lot for the power output to be good enough which makes it ever more important to isolate it as much as possible from those rough terrain rugosity areas/high dnetriev number unsteady incoming flows aannd you might have to associate it even more with a very efficient power intermittency mitigation system such as a fast charge/discharge battery, a flywheel system etc. Don't get me wrong, i love what you're doing and i'm all for broader adoption of wind turbines/ wind capture systems etc but we have to be extra careful in adressing all advantages and drawbacks and assess where each system is best suited for, i don't feel the comparison with classic wind turbines there made much sense.
It would be interesting turning this into a hubless generator. I would think you'd get better airflow as you wouldn't need to support the generator from the center.
Great video! Always enjoy your videos and your enthusiasm is wonderful. Do you think you could possible make a smaller version for testing? I would like to try myself but my cnc machines don't like the hot temps we have right now, yesterday we hit 122 degrees, the computers that run my machines don't like those temps. I guess I will have to wait until things cool down. Thanks again.
Hello Rob Iv just watched on RU-vid Ancient Tech air conditioning. What a great thing if this wind catcher and turbine could be married together. I suppose in hotter climates Regards Keith
like any other I would guess - but as it is on the end of a pier in the north of England subject to sea,salt, storms, cold, rain, snow and strong winds and it was developed by the Norwegians with all their climate challenges I imagine it stands up pretty well lol
Tempted to try a 3D printed capture devise, but that would mean digging the old cad system out , and trying to remember how to use it ....I took retirement seriously..lol . Computer with cad is buried under other projects .
