mecanoo architecten + TU delft unveil a windmill without moving blades
‘EWICON prototype’ by mecanoo architecten and delft university of technology, the netherlandsall images courtesy of mecanoo architects / TU delft
a scale model of the bladeless windmill developed by mecanoo architecten and delft university of technology is now viewable in front of the on-campus faculty building dedicated to engineering, mathematics and computer science. the electrostatic wind energy converter (EWICON) is a steel frame structure that uses particle movement to generate energy. electrically charged water droplets are moved across a bipolar field by wind which creates a current that is transmittable to a grid. as such, the form is freed of mechanically moving parts and instead becomes a sleek steel frame supporting a shear of horizontal tubes. more pragmatically, the lack of moving parts reduces maintenance costs, wear and tear and shadow casting as well as virtually eliminating noise pollution. the technology was developed by TU delft’s departments of chemical and aerospace engineering in conjunction with wageningen university and is slated to be the next phase of wind energy technology. while traditional turbines convert wind energy into mechanical energy that is then turned into electrical energy, the EWICON uses electro hydrodynamic atomisation wherein a high electric field is used to generate and charge particles simultaneously. the EWICON’s filleted rectangular form was integrated in mecanoo’s proposal for stadstimmerhuis 010 in rotterdam, which suggests that future applications of the technology are particularly relevant to urban architecture.
video diagramatically explains the EWICON
image © TU delft
prototype viewimage © mecanoo architects
possible applications in different sitesimage © TU delft
droplet movement diagramimage © TU delft
droplet movement at low wind speed image © TU delft
droplet movement at high wind speedimage © TU delft
test of the charged dropletsimage © TU delft
mecanoo architects had integrated the EWICON in building proposals, seen at the top of urban high-rises image © mecanoo architects
mecanoo (81 articles)
mecanoo introduces transparent wing to museum boijmans van beuningen in rotterdam
mecanoo unveils a new neighborhood designed around a historic food market in amsterdam
mecanoo wins competition to masterplan 'senezh management LAB' in russia
mecanoo references the layout of dutch farmhouses for 'villa vught' in the netherlands
mecanoo proposes konka mixed-use complex clad in perforated copper + glass in shenzhen
mecanoo wins competition to design futian civic culture center in shenzhen
wind power (46 articles)
prototype 2030 proposes to transform wind turbines into iconic landmarks
america's renewable energy usage surpasses coal for the first time ever
FABRICations draws a framework for energy landscapes of the future netherlands
technology news
david obendorfer pays tribute to BMW’s first electric car with '02 reminiscence' concept
#technology
the original BMW 1602 elektro-antrieb was first unveiled during the 1972 olympic games in munich.
the original BMW 1602 elektro-antrieb was first unveiled during the 1972 olympic games in munich.
sony launches wearable air conditioner that fits in your pocket
#technology
as temperatures soar, the idea of a portable, wearable air conditioner seems pretty idyllic.
as temperatures soar, the idea of a portable, wearable air conditioner seems pretty idyllic.
japan unveils new bullet train that can keep on running during an earthquake
#technology
the N700S — S stands for supreme — has a ‘rescue pack’ lithium-ion battery that can move an affected train at low speed in the event of a serious »
the N700S — S stands for supreme — has a ‘rescue pack’ lithium-ion battery that can move an affected train at low speed in the event of a serious interruption of the overhead power supply, like an earthquake.
motocrew crafts minimalist, M power revamp to BMW K100 RS motorcycle
#technology
M power is added to a neo-retro, white and black custom.
M power is added to a neo-retro, white and black custom.
Built as a charging fence, this could be used extensivly in an urban setting.
Efficiency is secondary if the whole effort is small. Sea wind parks have the big problem with corrosion…but here I see also risks like clogging water nozzles.
But…they seem to work also with very little wind.
So, just spraying water into the wind makes electricity? If this is true, it will be a revolution, especially in wet countries and sea locations. Not in dry areas.
How much clean water is required for 1kWh?
what is the technology behind tis???
Looks like the city pigeons will be very happy with these nesting sites.
How does this impact on wildlife such as birds etc?
I know that is one of the concerns with windmills that they can cause deaths of birds flying too close to them.
I just looked this up, and from the IEEE, it appear that this is not very efficient. Currently the system is about 7% efficient at converting wind energy into electricity. There are known improvements that could bring this into the 25% – 30% range. By comparison, modern horizontal axis wind generators are about 45% efficient.
It is an interesting concept, but given the inefficiency, and other problems related to using water like this, I don’t see a bright future for the technology.
I just listened to this whole rap and not one word about the device’s efficiency or output?
This is really interesting!
I wonder if the charge needs to be scaled up in a production version of this device and if it is spraying charged droplets out into the wind, could it also be used for cooling similar to what was done for several large scale events recently?
how would you keep birds from perching and leaving guano on its surfaces?
Wow amazing, congratulations guys! Would love to see what this leads to!