The Land Art Generator Initiative: Fields of Windstalks Harvest Kinetic Energy From the Wind
Geschreven op 25-8-2010 - Erik van Erne. Geplaatst in Energie en BesparingSome consider wind turbines to be garish blips on serene landscapes. Not so with this Windstalk concept, which utilizes a series of 1203 kinetic energy-generating “stalks” to harness power.
Designed for Abu Dhabi’s Masdar City, the project takes its inspiration from the way wheat fields blow in the wind.
The 55 meter-high stalks, which are made of carbon fiber-reinforced resin poles, contain piezeoelectric discs and electrodes that generate current. The current is stored in two chambers that act as a battery. LED lights placed on the pole tips glow or dim depending on how much wind is present. When wind is completely absent, the LEDs stay dark. The Windstalk remains a concept, although its creators say that “It is based on a set of systems that already exist and work.” No word on how much energy a field of Windstalks could create, but we’re guessing it requires a lot of land to generate a significant amount of power. Source: Inhabitat and The Land Art Generator Initiative Second Place Mention from the Jury
See also: The Land Art Generator Initiative: Solaris Solar Canopy Generates Electricity by Predock + Frane – Light Sanctuary: A Field of Solar Ribbons Rises in the Desert