Energy Ball Super Efficient Wind Turbine
The Energy Ball is a slick, silent, and efficient wind turbine that can create usable energy from even light winds. The main factor contributing to the success of the Energy Ball design is the use of the Venturi effect. The Venturi effect occurs when an “incompressible fluid flows through a constricted section,” this results in the production of increased kinetic energy. Home Energy is the Swedish Company responsible for the application of this effect to the Energy Ball. Another contributing factor to the efficiency of this model is the rotating shaft is parallel with the wind direction making it more aerodynamic. Through the use of 6 curved blades that form a sphere while in motion the Energy Ball is geared to be an ideal energy source for small scale use.
The company claims that their 100cm prototype (V100) could produce up to 15% of the energy consumed in an average Swedish home and it can be directly plugged in to supply the power. Their V200 model (198cm) could produce up to 50% of a household’s needs and the silent rotation means that it won’t be a disturbing presence in a residential setting . With speeds as low as 2m/s the Energy Ball can be productive. Home Energy provides various alternative energy products such as solar power, wood pellet, and energy monitoring systems that display personal energy consumption and production from your wind and solar sources. The Energy Ball by Home Energy is a simply designed, easily applied, yet critically useful piece of equipment that could greatly increase the accessibility of wind power to the general public.
Here is a news broadcast about the Energy Ball in action, unfortunately it isn’t in English!
Any Suggestions?
7 Comments, Comment or Ping
Brianne
Looks attractive, but wouldn’t it be dangerous to birds? Ah well, they’ll learn to avoid them. It’s nice to see companies coming out with so many different options to do this ourself, seeing as the government won’t be helping anytime soon. Thanks for sharing.
Sep 10th, 2008
Taco
It is a beautiful windturbine, a dutch ivention.
In the Netherlands it costs 3000 euro, inclusive mounting
When you compare the output with the price i think it is not a good investment. If you buy solar panels for 3000 euro’s you will get a higher output.
I doubt the starting speed of 2m/s. Near where i live there’s a company wich has a 1 meter ball on their roof. It rotates only with stronger winds.
The claim of producing 15% is based on the dutch everage use per household, wich is 3375 Kw per year. This claim can only be reached in the coastal area’s, not in urban inland city’s.
I hoped the figures were better because then i would have a powerball on my roof.
Please forgive my poor english writing,
Greetings, Taco
Sep 11th, 2008
Kimberly
I had a friend who built his house in the late 70’s and totally powered his house with a windmill and his out builds also. Everyone would lose power during a storm but him. He even sold extra energy back to the electric company. Only thing his wife complained about it didn’t make the freezer freeze solid enough to keep ice cream in the freezer. LOL!
Sep 15th, 2008
Rainboww
Hi,
Thank you for sharing.
Scoraig Wind Electric said in the website :” My agenda here is to protect the reputation of wind energy from disaster. Wind energy works well if correctly applied, but rooftop mounting is not a suitable application.”
They found that the mean wind speed was 1.7 m/s (less than 2 m/s–the minimum windspeed) in the urban house roof, when actually it is 5-7 m/s in the city.
I guess we have concern this. Put the wind turbine on a tower, that can be 2.5 times sourrounding buliding height.
Thanks,
Rainboww
Sep 25th, 2008
George
we produce and sell wind turbine : http://www.worldwindturbine.com
Oct 28th, 2008
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