Two technologies that we are unabashedly in love with here at EcoGeek are wind power and lighter-than-air craft. So a system that combines blimps and wind turbines is certain to draw our attention.

With wind turbines, most schemes to increase power have focused on increasing the swept area of the blades and improving their aerodynamic performance. But that's not the only way to do it. The Selsam SuperTurbine is a concept for a multiblade wind turbine for either land-based or off-shore installations. With the smaller swept area of each individual rotor, this turbine promises to be less visually obtrusive than other types of off-shore turbines. A design featuring a simple stalk with multiple sets of rotors all turning a shared axle allows this turbine design to produce more power despite the smaller swept area.

In off-shore installations, the Selsam turbine can also be lowered, or even submerged, in violent storm conditions in order to protect the turbine from damage. This ability also makes maintenance and repair work easier, rather than needing to have workers scaling multiple-hundreds of feet to access them. For larger scale generation (over 1 megawatt), the blimp-lofted design would have dozens of rotor sets along the axle in order to turn the generator, and the weight of the axle would be supported by a blimp to lift the far end.

Obviously, a lot of work will have to be done to determine whether this system truly could increase the financial viability of wind power. But for pure inspiration and beauty we have to give Selsam our most enthusiastic thumbs up.

via: Groovy Green

Comments (9)

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Enviro - Styling
written by Karsten , April 18, 2008

The world's problems looks small if designers with talent get to DRAW solutions. I would like to see at least a ROUGH, BUT WORKING device. No matter how ugly or aesthetically offensive it may be. Even at smaller scales.

Ideas on paper are important and possibly inspiring. Nevertheless, presenting good renderings or photo realistic drawings may lull many into thinking that there are solutions out there already and all we have to do is build them. Especially if one ignores science or other realities.

Fiction is easy.

Karsten

Enviro - Styling
written by Karsten , April 18, 2008

Pretty pictures. Where are the working prototypes or models? Anything? Even if it is really ugly.

Fiction may be inspiring, but it is easy. Especially if one stops right there.

Karsten

...
written by P Proefrock , April 18, 2008

These guys do have a working, small-scale model of their system. If you hit their page and scroll down through all the CGI eye-candy, they have some pics of the test/demo units.

It's still a long ways off before the blimp turbines arrive, but they've got something built to test their concepts, albeit at a much smaller scale.

...
written by Karsten , April 18, 2008

Good.

Karsten

...
written by Ken , April 18, 2008

Seems far fetched to me. I'll believe it when I see it.

Durrr...
written by Fang Liang , April 18, 2008

nice idea, but sea water is bad for machinery... Keeping things light and be able to be submerged ain't easy.... Good Luck.

How about stormy winds?
written by frisbee , April 19, 2008

Great idea. Hope it will work out. Just wonder if it would be able to handle storm conditions. If not, I think one would need to find a very reliable way to get this thing to the ground or sea safely.

i like mcdonalds
written by Fat guy , April 19, 2008

i like the big mac with cheese the best, i need to get layd

A Smarter Idea
written by larz , April 23, 2008

Don't do this at sea; too many problems. T'would
be smarter to do this in marginal lands like
Greenland or Canada's far North. They would be much
easier to maintain. Too cold? Well, forget the
balloon and anchor them to the ground. Nobody's
using that land, anyway. Canadian winds could
feed the planet.

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