Vertical axis turbine puts new spin on wind energy

The outline of a wind turbine – tall pylon, three large feather-shaped aerofoil blades rotating in a vertical plane – is so established that it has become emblematic. Wind farms are even represented on maps by a diagrammatic form of the horizontal-axis turbine. According to a UK consortium, however, in the very regions where the wind is strongest, the standard turbine has inherent drawbacks that might see it superseded by a very different design – currently under development and with plans for full-scale testing within five years. So what could be the new iconic outline? Think of something like a rotary washing line.

’The problem with standard horizontal-axis turbines, particularly offshore, is that they have to be so big,’ said Prof Feargal Brennan of Cranfield University, who is leading the research on Project NOVA (Novel Offshore Vertical Axis). ’If you look at offshore wind farms, you’ll often see that several of the turbines aren’t running – that’s because they’ve broken down and they’re extremely difficult to fix.’