Advantages And Disadvantages Of Vertical Wind Turbines

The traditional wind turbines have been horizontal but in recent times, vertical wind axis turbines has started to catch on. There a number of reasons behind the success of vertical wind turbines yet they have some drawbacks which stop it from becoming the standard. First you should know the advantages of a vertical wind turbine.

This type of wind turbine is rather easy to maintain. Almost all the parts of the vertical wind turbine which move are nearer to the ground. The shape of vertical wind turbine is such that you can perform 90% of the maintenance tasks with your feet on ground. Secondly this kind of wind turbine is cheaper as you do not need a yaw device which holds the rotor blade in place.

Third advantage of vertical access wind turbine is that it has a better. aerodynamically harmonious design. It has a higher angle for its airfoil pitch. The drag is reduced in both at low and high pressures. The result is that the turbine can tap into the wind more efficiently. Similarly the straight bladed turbines have one more advantage. They have a larger swept area, They can tap wind energy even when wind is slower than usual.

One more advantage of vertical wind turbines becomes visible when it is installed at low altitude area, especially equal to sea level. They can easily take the advantage of high density of air and generate more power. Another advantage is that these wind turbines have low height. This makes them perfect for installation at areas where long height installations are not allowed, like near airports.

Now you should have a look at the drawbacks of vertical axis wind turbine.

To begin with, these machines are not really as efficient as the horizontal axis wind turbines. They have a lot of drag considering that the blades are rotating right into the wind. While there are structures which allow you to overcome this restriction, they become more expensive than their counterparts in the long run. Add to this the fact that a large number of such turbines have low torque, you need energy to get them started.

You must also be very careful when you install a vertical wind tunnel. The placement of the turbine is very important. It must be done on a flat piece of land. Similarly the fact that the height of these turbines is restricted. This also restricts the sweep are of such a turbine. Again the power generation capabilities become restricted.

While the vertical wing turbines may be commercially feasible in a number of areas, there are further attempts going on to make it more effective and efficient as a power generation tool.