A new wind turbine design promises better offshore energy
Lower costs, cheaper wind turbines and hurricane safe. That’s the future of offshore wind energy promised by SeaTwirl, a company that makes vertical wind turbines. These new turbines have capabilities built into their sturdy structure. Their anchoring technology open the ocean horizon where it was previously hard to reach for harvesting wind energy.
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The benefit of offshore wind turbines is in the strong winds a distance from shore. Vertical wind turbines have greater structural strength to withstand hurricane-force winds, which makes them a better investment for offshore wind farms.
Related: Massive new wind turbine design produces more energy
“SeaTwirl’s wind turbines use a vertical-axis wind turbine with a tower connected to the sub-sea structure, consisting of a floating element and a keel. As the energy of the wind causes the turbine to rotate, the structure maintains its stability by using the keel and the counter turning moment, similar to the function of a keel on a sailboat,” said SeaTwirl. This means the wind turbine isn’t resisting winds but bending with them like a buoy.
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The wind turbine, tower and underwater assembly rotate as one unit. Above the water surface but below the turbine is an enclosed generator housing. The entire turbine is held down on the seabed by several mooring lines. This means that SeaTwirl turbines can be used in areas out of reach for traditional offshore turbines, which are limited to a depth of about 50 to 60 meters. SeaTwirl turbines can be anchored in deeper water, which is a unique feature in today’s turbine market. This means clients can anchor these turbines to create wind farms where winds more consistently blow pretty strong.
As a result, there is more power and better lasting turbines. Vertical axis turbines can be built taller because they are structurally stronger than the traditional alternative. We’re happy to hear we’re already in a market with competing turbine designs, which means more options and better energy production as the world transitions to clean energy.