Magnetic Wind Turbines
Magnetic wind turbines or MagLev (magnetic levitating) wind generators
may just be the Web 2.0 of the wind industry. Magnetic wind turbines,
such as those used by Jay Leno and Ed Begley, Jr. can be used in
slower winds, have less resistance and last longer due to less wear
and tear.
The MagLev wind turbines are generally vertical axis machines that
are suspended with magnets above the base. This means there is no
wear and tear on ball bearings as there would be with other non-magnetized
models.
The MagLev wind turbines generally employ "neodymium"
or rare earth magnets that don't require electricity to work as
would systems equipped with electromagnets. One of the advantages
of magnetic wind turbines is that there is little energy loss due
to friction.
Since the magnets repel each other and never touch, this means
that they can start turning and generating electricity in very low
wind speeds (3 mph). Magnetic wind turbines also work well in higher
wind speeds at over 80 mph whereas other turbines may automatically
shut down to avoid damage.
In November 2007, Zhongke Hengyuan Energy Technology in central
China began building the world's largest utility scale magnetic
wind turbine. Perhaps the largest benefit is the expectation that
this MagLev wind generator will be able to produce electricity at
less than one penny per kilowatt.
Because of the vertical axis and conical or cone-shaped design
plus low resistance, the magnetic wind turbines can typically be
placed lower to the ground than horizontal axis bladed turbines.
This means not only are MagLev wind turbines idea for commercial
and utility scale applications but will also work in the residential
settings. Jay Leno, as previously mentioned has a 5 kw magnetic
wind turbine on the world famous Jay Leno's Garage. Ed Begley, Jr.
has one about one-third this size (1.5 kw) on his home. Jay Leno
also likes to compare the size of each.
The potential to scale up magnetic wind turbines is enormous. Researchers
and engineers say that 1 gigawatt MagLev wind generators are feasible,
which will be enough to power around 750,000 homes.
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