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Model 1500 and 3000 Technical Specifications

Wind Harvest International is nearly ready to install the first Model 1500 Linear Array Vortex Turbine System and begin the process of its international certification and commercial sales. Once final testing is complete, the Model 3000 LAVTS will advance.

There are two main differences between the two models. The rotor of the model 1500 has 1500 square feet of swept area with twelve 20 foot blades per rotor connected so that two blades are aligned and will exhibit an aspect ratio performance increase closer to that of a a true forty foot blade. A single arm extending from the middle of the shaft holds the top and bottom of the paired blades. The model 3000 is the same as the 1500 but has half the solidity (16.5%) because its arms are twice as long. has double the arm length and thus twice the swept area (18 ft vs 36 ft). The columns for the 3000 sit on the corners of an 80 foot wide square while the 1500 columns are on the corner of a square
40 feet wide. The different models use the same blades, generator, brakes and more.

Because the Model 3000 has a large swept area to generator size ratio, it rapidly reaches 75 kW output and should achieve one of the best capacity factors in the industry. (See its expected power performance curve below). When wind speeds exceed generation capacity, a torque limiter device will start operating such that the output remains steady at 75 kW without harming the transmission and generator. The Model 3000 is designed for lower wind speed locations (less than 16 mph average wind speeds) and flatter ground.

The rotors in a Model 1500 LAVTS pass each other at 30 inches apart as they revolve in opposite directions. The LAVTS are placed perpendicular to the main wind direction. The more uni- or bi-directional the wind resource, the more rotors/turbines can be installed in an array. Since the center rotors produce more energy from the coupled vortex effect than turbines on the ends, the longer the array, the greater its efficiency. Each additional turbine in an array only needs two columns with their two foundations versus four when a turbine is installed alone. This can save 10% on installation and steel pipe and fabrication costs.

With shorter arms and no torque limiting device, the Model 1500 is designed for highly turbulent and energetic wind conditions such as ridge lines, mesas and mountains which experience a wind speed up effect. The shorter arms of the model 1500 make them more durable and allows more turbines to be installed in the best wind locations (1 MW per 532 linear feet). The 1500 LAVTS continue to generate in 65 mph winds while other HAWTs will cut out in 45 and 55 mph winds.
3000array

Array of Model 3000 turbines with conventional turbine in background. Note: The tension cables that support the blade arms, blade, and support frame are not shown

TechSpecs

3000 Power Curve

Power Curve for the Model 3000 in five turbine arrays (projected)