Windstar Turbines
Wind Harvest International’s Windstar turbines operate in the same basic manner as all blade-type vertical axis wind turbines (VAWTs). Wind moving over the blades creates lift and torque similar to blades of horizontal axis wind turbines (HAWTs). VAWTs have more drag than HAWTs because the blades revolve back into the wind. Because of this VAWTs aren’t generally as efficient at extracting energy out of the wind as HAWTs. WHI has solved this classic VAWT problem in two ways.
Read more... | Windstar 1500 LAVTSWith shorter arms than other models, no torque limiting device, and an operating range of
65+MPH, Windstar 1500 Linear Array Vortex Turbine Systems (LAVTS)
are ideal for sites with turbulent and highly energetic winds. Read more...
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Windstar 3000 LAVTS
The Windstar 3000 will stand 50 feet high by 75 feet wide and
will be exceptionally competitive in lower windspeed locations (13-16 mph).
Their rotors
are placed close together in Linear Array Vortex Turbine Systems
(LAVTS). Many wind farm owners have expressed interest in Windstar
LAVTS because of their capacity to make double use of their land and
infrastructure investments. Read more... | 
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Windstar
1066
In 1992 Bob Thomas designed the Windstar 1066 turbine with a
rated power of 50 kW. The turbine used 30 foot long blades of pultruded fiberglass. The turbine's rotor was 35.5 feet wide. Field testing demonstrated increased efficiency
of the longer blades of that model and pointed to the potential to produce
a cost-effective and efficient machine that does not employ
"stators" (aerodynamically shaped columns on the outside
superstructure that shape and funnel a wider swept area of wind into the rotors to increase power output). Read more... |
Windstar
530G
In 2001 and 2002 Wind Harvest installed three guyed wire supported versions
of the Windstar 530. Each rotor passes with 20 inches of its neighbor.
The close spacing produces the "coupled vortex"
effect that increases output of the interior turbines by 75%
in 16mph wind with diminishing improvement until there is no effect above 42mph. The 530G turbine array was a very successful research and development project that gained Wind Harvest its new international patent (6784566) on the vortex effect and provided other important insights. The guyed wires produced problems for turbine bearings and led to the conclusion to return to an external superstructure in future models. Read more...
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530
In
1987 Wind Harvest successfully worked with the Second Heavy
Machinery Plant in the People's Republic of China to fabricate
a manufacturing prototype of the Windstar 530. This machine
used less expensive aluminum blades (instead of fiberglass).
These turbines were operated and maintained in the turbulent
and energetic winds of the San Gorgonio Pass, California. With
this version of the Windstar 530, Wind Harvest gained valuable
operational experience which led to a turbine design that is
durable, very efficient and easy to maintain. Read more...
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Windstar
480
In 1975 Bob Thomas envisioned a straight bladed, vertical axis
turbine. With the financial help of the company cofounder and famous artist Sam Francis, he built increasingly larger
versions of the turbine. In 1983, after he left his position
as the director of Wind Energy for the California Energy Commission,
Wind Harvest built three Windstar 480 turbines near Concord
California. This early prototype with 480 square feet of swept
area provided excellent information on turbine efficiency and
future design improvements. Read more... |  |
Urban Windstar
Windstar turbines can easily be incorporated into urban environments.
For more information, including incorporation into architectural
designs, please
contact Wind Harvest.
