Those who argue the blades on wind power generators have a negative aesthetic impact may have to come up with a new argument in the future. Spanish firm Vortex Bladeless has suggested a new way of gathering energy from the wind which could change wind farms' look entirely.
The Vortex is a wind turbine without blades, appearing only as a narrow white cone running high into the air. It aims to achieve the same result as the turbines we have come to know, but the method it uses is very different.
Vorticity is the name for an aerodynamic effect which results in the formation of a collection of spinning vortices. Vortex Bladeless designers David Suriol, David Yáñez and Raul Martín say the associated energy could be harnessed into a productive force.
It is clear how much power is created in the vorticity effect, in that architects and engineers actively design buildings to avoid it, because it has the potential to weaken or even completely compromise structures, particularly bridges and objects which indirectly produce additional air movement.
The cone shape of the Vortex Bladeless has been developed using computer technology to create energetic air movement over the whole surface of the mast. The prototype is made of from fibreglass and carbon fibre, allowing it to vibrate in the wind.
