Time to Redesign Our Wind Energy Future

By Lance Winslow

image: depositphotos

From an engineering stand point, I'd say all these very large modern wind turbine designs are rather cumbersome and less-than-optimal. No, I am not taking anything away from the brilliant engineering designers using high-tech materials to make all this work, truly it's an amazing feat. We now have carbon-composite blades with special aerodynamic tricks, one design even uses the organic evolutionary design from the leading edge on the fin of a hump back well, and to that I say; Bravo, and Well Done!

Still I'd like to talk about this for a moment, because I was having a recent discussion with a graduate engineering student from the University of Maryland Baltimore County who has spent considerable time researching wind turbines. It seems that we really need to take all this to the next level, the next step, and do a complete re-design on the current modern day wind turbines. Today, they are top heavy, dangerous in high-winds, and the ROI is not anywhere near what's been purported, thus, it isn't the answer for inexpensive energy generation.

Many months ago, we were having a similar discussion on all this at our Think Tank considering all the challenges which have inadvertently been created with these wind turbine designs currently in use. Okay so, let's talk about this for a moment shall we?

Amongst some of the more serious challenges are enough reasons to completely re-design these units. Not just fix the problems, we need a complete "back to the drawing board approach" if you ask me. For instance, below are some of the challenges and problems which must be defeated:

1.) Human Health and "Ultra-sound"

2.) FAA and Military Radar Systems and Wind Turbine interference and degradation

3.) High Winds and need to shut down to prevent damage

4.) Bird Kills

5.) Low Pressure Areas and Bat flight departures (killing bats)

6.) Need for large concrete base - CO2 emissions to make concrete (15-year offset - defeating CO2 gain)

7.) Bearing Maintenance Downtime and costs defeating cost savings per KW hour

I therefore, put out a personal challenge to all the engineering aerospace and alternative energy design teams and grad students out there, as well as all the garage inventors to come up with a new design, one which solves all the problems listed above and can still produce energy with an ROI which can compete in the market place without subsidies or tax breaks. Indeed, I would personally be willing to look at any new concept or design and offer my comments. Please consider all this and think on it.

Lance Winslow has launched a new provocative series of eBooks on Innovation in America. Lance Winslow is a retired Founder of a Nationwide Franchise Chain, and now runs the Online Think Tank; http://www.worldthinktank.net

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