CONCEPT BOOSTS WIND TURBINE POWER

Wind Turbine Output Boosted 30% by Breakthrough Design; Passive structure design of “Wind Energizer” by Leviathan Energy reportedly increases wind turbine efficiency 30% in field tests.
Timothy B. Hurst, April 29, 2009 (CleanTechnica)

..."Leviathan Energy has completed initial testing on their Wind Energizer unit and is reporting gains in wind turbine output in the ballpark of 30% — and as much as 150% at lower wind speeds.

"The principle theory at work is that by placing passive objects around a wind farm it will change the circulation around a large wind turbine. The advancement is not in the turbine itself, but rather in the area around it…[The Leviathan Wind Energizer] can be adapted to any wind turbine from any manufacturer…"

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"The Wind Energizer is a donut-shaped structure made from steel and plastic, but the exact dimensions of it depend on site-specific data, like the tower height, length of the blades, prevailing wind direction and intensity, etc…determined in the customized modeling process…[T]he structure may not even make an entire circle (as is depicted in the images)…

"In the initial phase of testing, Leviathan measured an average of 20-40% more output with the turbines using the Wind Energizer, as compared to the control units. At lower wind speeds (0-6 meters per second) the turbines with the Wind Energizer had gains as high as 150%."

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"Leviathan’s early testing has been conducted on a relatively small scale, using commercially-available small turbines with 3-meter blades…Leviathan is currently exploring opportunities for third-party testing and certification on a commercial scale wind farm.

"Leviathan estimates that the period of return on investment for the wind energizer to be about four to five years and that wind farm operators would likely see decreased maintenance costs and longer life span because the Wind Energizer balances the velocity load and shearing forces on the turbine…"