Bladeless wind turbines

The latest innovation in wind energy

Reading time: 8 min

In Spain, wind energy is gaining importance. The country's energy mix represented almost 25% of the total renewable energy production in 2020 – the highest figure to date. Therefore, innovations in the field of wind energy are constant in order to maximize its advantages and minimize its environmental impact. One of these innovations, which comes from the Spanish company Vortex Bladeless, is a bladeless wind turbine. But, how is it possible to generate energy from a cylinder that has no blades?

What are bladeless wind turbines and how do they work?

The operation of the new bladeless wind turbine is based on aeroelastic resonance, which allows energy to be transmitted to its structure by harnessing the force of the wind through the phenomenon of vortex shedding.

The device consists of a cylinder that oscillates when the wind hits it due to the swirls or vortices produced as a result of the impact; this oscillation or vibration is called Vortex Induced Vibration (VIV). The movement of the cylinder generates mechanical energy that, in turn, is transformed into electrical energy thanks to an alternator.

The cylinder is firmly anchored to the ground by the rod, and the upper part of the latter supports the mast. With regards to its structure, it consists of resin reinforced with carbon fiber or glass fiber, which are materials that are normally used in conventional wind turbines.

Advantages of bladeless wind turbines

These wind turbines have numerous advantages that make them a very interesting option to complement traditional wind turbines. This also includes other systems such as solar panels installed in homes or companies, which are expected to serve as a backup when the solar radiation contribution is lower, but the wind is blowing at an adequate speed.

One of its main benefits is the reduction of the environmental impact. Although the installation of a traditional wind farm first goes through an exhaustive process of assessing its environmental footprint, especially concerning wildlife, no system has yet been developed to completely avoid bird strikes. Nonetheless, bladeless turbines move a lot less, which will allow animals to avoid them more easily. Moreover, their operation generates considerably less noise, which reduces noise pollution and even allows wind turbines to be placed in urban areas and much closer to points of consumption.

On the other hand, far less land is needed to install bladeless turbines compared to traditional ones, which reduces the visual impact. Furthermore, their low weight and their lower center of gravity notably reduces the requirements for their anchorage or foundation, which simplifies their installation.

This system also eliminates the mechanical elements that wear down due to friction, reducing maintenance costs and prolonging their useful life. What's more, as they don't require lubricants, this eliminates that need to manage their possible waste.

In addition to all of the above, these bladeless turbines adapt faster to the changes in wind direction, which is very useful in urban settings with turbulent winds.

Vortex project: A real example of bladeless wind turbines

Vortex Bladeless is an emerging technology company with headquarters in Ávila. Its first steps date back to 2010, when David J. Yánez, chairman and founding partner of the company, saw a documentary about the collapse of the Tacoma Narrows bridge in the United States on November 7, 1940, only four months after its construction due to the wind's force. Where others saw a problem, David saw a chance to produce energy differently. His first concept tests were based on a bottle of water attached to a stick, but years later, he and his partner, Raúl Marín, filed the first patent on a bladeless wind turbine.

Throughout their career, they have received numerous awards as well as the support and collaboration of different institutions and companies. In their beginnings, they caught the attention of the Repsol Foundation Entrepreneurs Fund judges, which didn't hesitate in backing the project. They have also benefited from the CDTI Neotec funds, a group of business angels, the European Commission (within the framework of the 2020 Horizon program), the Barcelona Supercomputing Center, the company Altair, and the Microgravity Institute of the Technical University of Madrid, among others. They have already successfully closed several rounds of financing and are currently developing several wind turbine models of various sizes.

Until not long ago, it was thought that only large-scale bladeless wind turbines could be built. However, today it's known that these devices can be adapted to much more smaller dimensions.

That is the case with the Vortex Nano model, only 85 centimeters high, which has already been chosen by organizations such as the NGO SEO/Birdlife, dedicated to the study and conservation of birds, which has installed one at its headquarters.

For now, this revolutionary discovery doesn’t propose the replacement of traditional wind turbines, at least in the short term. In fact, its technology generates 30% of what is possible to obtain from a conventional turbine. That’s why the aim of the creators of Vortex Bladeless is for wind turbines to be installed in urban and rural areas, particularly for self-consumption purposes, and for synergies to be created with other types of energies. However, the possibilities of this technology are already being considered in applications such as offshore wind farms due to the lower cost of their implementation and maintenance, among other aspects.

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