http://news.discovery.com/tech/wind...ades.html?fb_ref=fb2&fb_source=home_multiline The proposed design calls for 1,203 "“stalks," each 180-feet high with concrete bases that are between about 33- and 66-feet wide. The carbon-fiber stalks, reinforced with resin, are about a foot wide at the base tapering to about 2 inches at the top. Each stalk will contain alternating layers of electrodes and ceramic discs made from piezoelectric material, which generates a current when put under pressure. In the case of the stalks, the discs will compress as they sway in the wind, creating a charge. “The idea came from trying to find kinetic models in nature that could be tapped to produce energy,†explained Atelier DNA founding partner DarÃo Núñez-Ameni. In the proposal for Masdar, the Windstalk wind farm spans 280,000 square feet. Based on rough estimates, said Núñez-Ameni the output would be comparable to that of a conventional wind farm covering the same area. “Our system is very efficient in that there is no friction loss associated with more mechanical systems such as conventional wind turbines,†he said.
No friction losses? Neat trick. Must be from that physics 101 warehouse, with all those massless pulleys, completely inelastic balls, and immovable objects (price is strictly FOB).
I read "no friction loss associated with more mechanical systems" as "less friction than", not "absolutely no friction". English may not be this person's main language, or the translation might be a bit off.
It has none of the friction losses associated with other kinds of systems, because it has its own friction losses which are its and nobody else's. I don't have any of your kind of friction. I have my own kind of friction. If the output is the same as a conventional wind farm of the same size, then the advantage of one over he other just comes down to cost. Installation plus maintenance. Ability to produce energy above or below the wind speed threshold of windmills could also be a factor. I see nothing wrong with more different ways to harvest the wind.
No there are major differences in land use. These might be safer for birds in some areas, while traditional turbines allow the land to be used for other purposes. Most of the ranches and parks that wind farms are being built on in west texas and iowa are best served by the traditional turbines. Other locations likely will be better served by this different design.
