Strange-Looking Contraption Is Actually a Wind Turbine

October 3, 2016 | Comments

Renewable energy can come from the strangest places—and can be harvested in some of the most unique ways. This is truly evident in the recent launch of a somewhat Seussian-like wind generation station.

The whimsical contraption was launched by the Minnesota-based company SheerWind, which signed a licensing agreement with Mark Luke Wind Energy. Plans are in place to market and deploy the wind generation stations in South Dakota, the fifth-windiest state in the U.S.

Generation Through Concentration and Acceleration

The funnel system—called INVELOX—harnesses incoming wind by channeling it through a funnel design that concentrates and accelerates the wind motion.

An illustration demonstrates how the wind power is concentrated throughout the system. (Image courtesy of SheerWind.)

SheerWind states that this design allows for wind to be captured at speeds as low as 2 meters per second—and that it is structurally compatible enough to be built on urban rooftops.

According to an April 2016 report, the INVELOX can increase wind speeds by 7 to 12 times and create winds as high as 75 meters per second.

According to SheerWind, the power of a blade of the same size in free stream wind is increased by 64 to 1,728 times inside an INVELOX system. The company also states that the capacity factor is 70 percent, as opposed to a traditional windmill, which has a capacity factor of 20 to 40 percent.

INVELOX wind generation mechanisms are being built in varying regions of the world, including Europe, China, New Zealand and Palmyra Atoll.

The following videos from SheerWind’s website demonstrate some of the steps that take place to install the INVELOX.

“We are ready to make South Dakota a leader for wind power generation in this country. Integrating INVELOX into buildings is a solution that makes our business stand out,” said Mark Luke, the CEO of Mark Luke Companies. “We are excited to provide a needed solution for renewables while providing new opportunities for local communities.”

To learn more about SheerWind’s INVELOX, visit its website.