[풍력] 날개없는 풍력발전기 EWICON

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날개없는 풍력발전기 EWICON

mecanoo architects + TU delft unveil a windmill without moving blades

네덜란드 델프트 공과대학교(Delft University) 교수진이 건축회사 메카누(Mecanoo)와 협력 하에 풍력에너지 전력생산 신규 기술을 개발하고 있다. 연구진이 개발한 풍력터빈EWICON(Electrostatic WInd-energy CONvertor)은 움직이는 기계 파트가 없다. 따라서 소음도 없고, 항복 현상이 없으며 그림자를 드리우지 않는다. 무엇보다 날아가는 새의 동선을 방해하여 죽음을 초래하는 일이 없다. 즉 기존 풍력 터빈에서 발생하는 거의 모든 문제를 해결한 것이다.

 a scale model of the bladeless windmill developed by mecanoo architects and delft university of technology is now viewable in front of the on-campus faculty building dedicated to engineering, mathematics and computer science. 

장점

기계 파트가 없어, 

소음이 없고, 항복 현상이 없으며 그림자를 드리우지 않는다. 

무엇보다 날아가는 새의 동선을 방해하여 죽음을 초래하는 일이 없다. 

단순한 설계 때문에, 

프레임이 원하는 어떤 모양으로 제조될 수 있고 외관이 예술품 같다는 평도 있다. 

사실상 크기 제한이 없다.

블레이드가 없기 때문에,

거센 바람에 의한 손상 가능성이 적다. (빛에 의한 손상은 있을 수 있다.)

 

작동원리

전통적인 형식의 풍력터빈은 운동에너지를 기계에너지로 전환하여 전력을 생산할 수 있는 바람의 장점을 이용한다. 

그러나 델프트대 연구진이 개발한 풍력터빈은 완전히 다른 프로세스를 갖는다. 

풍력터빈은 마치 거대한 테니스 라켓 같은 외관에, 손잡이 대신 단열 베이스를 갖추고 있다. 

동 터빈은 내부 그리드(inner grid)를 움직이는 바람을 이용한다. 

양(+)으로 대전된 물 입자들은 소형 내부 튜브망(tube mesh)을 통과하여 분무된다. 이때 음(-)으로 대전된 입자만을 남긴다.  이는 시스템의 전압이 감소되고, 전기를 포집할 수 있게 한다.

Wind energy may be one of the more sustainable sources of power available, but the spinning blades of conventional wind turbines require regular maintenance and have attracted criticism from bird lovers. That might explain why we've seen wind turbine prototypes that enclose the blades in a chamber or replace them entirely with a disc-like system. But researchers in the Netherlands set out to eliminate the need for a mechanical component entirely and created the EWICON, a bladeless wind turbine with no moving parts that produces electricity using charged water droplets.

Where most wind turbines generate electricity through mechanical energy, the EWICON (short for Electrostatic WInd energy CONvertor) creates potential energy with charged particles – in this case, water droplets. The current design consists of a steel frame holding a series of insulated tubes arranged horizontally. Each tube contains several electrodes and nozzles, which continually release positively-charged water particles into the air. As the particles are blown away, the voltage of the device changes and creates an electric field, which can be transferred to the grid for everyday use.

Energy output would be dependent not only on the wind speed, but also the number of droplets, the amount of charge placed on the droplets, and the strength of the electric field.

image © TU delft  droplet movement diagram

image © TU delft  droplet movement at low wind speed 

image © TU delft  droplet movement at high wind speed

image © TU delft  test of the charged droplets

the electrostatic wind energy converter (EWICON)is a steel frame structure that uses particle movement to generate energy. electrically charged water droplets are moved across a bipolar field by wind which creates a current that is transmittable to a grid. as such, the form is freed of mechanically moving parts and instead becomes a sleek steel frame supporting a shear of horizontal tubes. more pragmatically, the lack of moving parts reduces maintenance costs, wear and tear and shadow casting as well as virtually eliminating noise pollution. 

the technology was developed by TU delft's departments of chemical and aerospace engineering in conjunction with wageningen university and is slated to be the next phase of wind energy technology. while traditional turbines convert wind energy into mechanical energy that is then turned into electrical energy, the EWICON uses electro hydrodynamic atomisation wherein a high electric field is used to generate and charge particles simultaneously. 

그러나 아직까지 EWICON의 효율과, 비용 효율을 높이기 위해 광활한 풍력 단지에 설치되어야 하는지는 알려져 있지 않다. 현재로써는 소형 프로토타입이 Mekelpark EWI 교수연구동 앞에 설치되어 커다란 네온사인에 전력을 공급하고 있다. 

The designers of the EWICON windmill incorporated it into the sign on top of the Stadstimm...

According to the developers, the system could easily be installed on land or sea, much like regular wind turbines, but the design is particularly suited to urban areas. Expansive wind farms usually aren't feasible in big cities due to a lack of space, but one or more EWICONs could be incorporated into existing architecture just by altering it's shape. Also, with a lack of moving parts, it would require less maintenance while producing less noise and no flickering shadows.

So far, only a few small-scale prototypes of the EWICON have been produced: two that are incorporated into a sign on top of the Stadstimmerhuis 010 building in Rotterdam and another standalone version that was erected on the Delft Technical University campus. The designers are currently testing the device's capabilities, but are trying to gather funding for a larger model that could produce more power.

The EWICON was designed by architecture firm Mecanoo using technology developed by Delft Technical University researchers Johan Smit and Dhiradj Djairam. The video below demonstrates how the EWICON works.

 video diagramatically explains the EWICONimage © TU delft  

the EWICON's filleted rectangular form was integrated in mecanoo's proposal for stadstimmerhuis 010 in rotterdam, which suggests that future applications of the technology are particularly relevant tourban architecture.  prototype view

image © mecanoo architects  possible applications in different sites

image © TU delft  

출처 : 

Mecanoo, Delft Technical University

http://www.gizmag.com/ewicon-bladeless-wind-turbine/26907/

http://www.designboom.com/technology/mecanoo-architects-tu-delft-unveil-a-windmill-without-moving-blades/

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2013. 04. 21 작성

2014. 06. 21 수정