Pros And Cons Of Vertical Wind Turbine

Wind turbines are very popular in the urban setting of America today. The type of turbine in use is mainly a vertical wind turbine or a vertical axis wind turbine. This type of a turbine offers various advantages to the users.

The biggest advantage of vertical wind turbine is that its generator is placed at the bottom close to the ground. Therefore the tower does not need to support the generator. Also the turbine does not have to be pointed in the direction of the wind. It turns on regardless of the direction in which the wind is flowing. The blades are made of a carbon composite that is lightweight as well as easy to install. This fact combined with the turbine's shape makes its maintenance very easy.

Also the vertical wind turbine has a higher airfoil pitch angle. This improves the overall aerodynamics while it simultaneously decreases drag at low and high pressures. Since the rotor blades are vertical in shape, there is no need for a yaw device. This helps to bring down the overall cost.

Also there is no need for a free standing tower with this type of turbine. This makes it even less expensive. Also this type of turbine is very strong in high winds and is very close to the ground. Usually it has a lower tip-speed ratio which is less likely to break in high winds. Also the turbine can potentially be built to a far larger size than horizontal axis wind turbines.

The vertical wind turbine is especially successful in areas like mesas, hilltops, ridge lines and passes. This is because they have the winds moving directly into the site. In these sites, this turbine is way more successful than the horizontal axis wind turbine.

Apart from these advantages, there also are some pitfalls of the vertical wind turbine. It can only produce roughly 50% of the energy in comparison to a horizontal wind generator placed in normal areas. Also the turbine has to be installed on a flat piece of land with no steepness.

The most common vertical wind turbine has a low starting torque and usually it needs some energy to start the turning.

In some areas there can be a height limitation as to how tall a vertical wind turbine can actually be. There also is a limitation on the sweep area the vertical wind turbines can have.

A close examination of the advantages and disadvantages suggest that the vertical wind turbine is a viable option. Especially if you are considering alternative energy sources so as to lower your utility bills, this turbine can help you achieve what you set out for.