NOVA Offshore Aerogenerator concept developed by Wind Power Limited, rotor invented by David Sharpe. Image by GRIMSHAW Architects. ©2009
This unorthodox design may be the future of off-shore wind power. The NOVA or Project Novel Offshore Vertical Axis turbine utilizes a 120 meter tall "V" shape turbine, instead of the traditional design which gives it several advantages.
Traditional wind turbines place the rotors and gears at the top of very tall towers/poles. This makes the installations top heavy which limits their size. This design is also difficult to maintenence because of the sheer height of all the moving parts.
The NOVA's design places all the moving parts and machinery at the base of the installation. Since it rotates at the base where the generator is located, there are less gears required. Most of the moving parts are there at the base, at sea/ground level so it's easier to maintenance. It's bottom heavy which allows for more stability and much larger turbines that can create more power. Another advantage to the NOVA is that it can harness wind coming from any direction.
The NOVA project recently won a £20million grant from the Energy Technologies Institute (ETI). Their goal is to have a working 1 GW NOVA installed by 2020 and a smaller working prototype within 6 years.
For more information visit Nova-Project.co.uk.
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WOW that looks and sounds great!! Hopefully they can meet their expected targets or even better exceed them.
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