Have you ever considered why some people hum? Sure, most of us hum to music, but others hum to themselves, often reflecting their moods or to soothe themselves. Others unconsciously hum to block out annoying sounds or unwanted thoughts. It’s not just humans. An energy-producing 7ft cylinder also hums at night while producing up to 3W of power at home — enough to charge small devices or supplement existing energy sources.
The sound of humming is better than the smell of burning
The world has been powered by burning fossil fuels for a long time, and they are utilized for heating, producing electricity, and powering vehicles. These fuels include coal, petroleum, and gas, which are all non-renewable. The biggest downfall of these fuels is that they are extremely polluting and contribute to climate change due to their greenhouse gas emission.
To mitigate the effects of climate change, the world is gradually transitioning to renewable energy sources, which have little to no carbon emissions. Examples of these renewables include geothermal, biogas, hydropower, solar, and wind. The latter is particularly popular, and wind turbines are used to harness wind energy.
Unfortunately, according to the US Energy Information Administration, traditional wind turbines have problems such as visual pollution, wildlife threats, noise pollution, and vast space requirements. Thankfully, a humming cylinder may solve all those problems, especially for residential applications.
The soothing sound of clean, low-cost energy at home
A Spanish sustainable energy company, Vortex Bladeless, has designed a unique wind turbine that will provide your home with clean, safe for the environment, and low-cost power. When it comes to what consumers can expect from the design, the company’s name says it all. Their solution to all traditional turbines was to design a bladeless turbine.
This bladeless turbine is called the Vortex Nano. This innovative turbine is only 7 ft in height and has a power output of 3W — sufficient for powering small electronics or sensors, particularly in off-grid settings. An additional benefit is that this turbine works great with solar panels, resulting in efficient and complementary energy at home, day or night. This bladeless turbine will make living in off-grid locations easier.
How it works
According to All Sustainable Solutions, these turbines produce power with ‘vorticity‘ or the wind’s spinning motion. The turbine is cylinder-shaped and is vertically placed with an elastic rod. As wind passes by, the cylinder vibrates and creates kinetic energy. The latter is converted into electricity with a generator. Vortex Bladeless utilizes an alternator system that operates with magnets and coils, and functions with vortex dynamics. Alternators are beneficial as they require less maintenance.
Producing so much more than just power
The Vortex Nano starts operating in wind speeds of 3 m/s. According to All Sustainable Solutions, it produces equivalent power at a 45% lower cost in low to medium wind speeds compared to traditional turbines. The turbine also features a generator with a safety device, which automatically stops production when wind speeds are higher than 30 to 35 m/s.
Additional advantages of bladeless turbines
- Lightweight, simple design
- Decreased manufacturing costs due to not requiring blades or a nacelle (the most expensive parts of traditional turbines)
- Easy installation
- Easy maintenance
- Bladeless
- Minimal noise pollution as functioning noise is below 20 Hz (below the threshold of human hearing)
- Zero threat to surrounding wildlife, such as birds and bats
- Long operating life
- The cylinder’s magnets repel each other, thus causing almost no wear and friction damage
- Less maintenance, fewer costs
- The generator’s operating life is claimed to be 32–96 years
This bladeless turbine’s low-impact operation as it produces clean power for your home is most definitely an alternative to the burning of fossil fuels. Innovative wind turbine designs are a positive step in the right direction for a carbon-free future.
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