Innovative Vertical-Axis Wind Turbine to be Installed in NY

The world’s first utility-scale vertical-axis wind turbine will make its debut on the campus of Sullivan County Community College in Loch Sheldrake, NY.  Environmental Technologies LLC (ETLLC) has developed their turbine design after almost two decades of research and testing.  Unlike traditional horizontal-axis wind turbines, which use propeller-type blades on top of a large shaft to rotate a horizontally oriented shaft, ETLLC’s turbine features a series of retractable fan blades situated around a vertically oriented shaft. As the wind pushes horizontally against the turbine, some blades close to capture the force of the wind, while the others retract to reduce drag as they rotate.

ETLLC claims that the turbine can produce power over a greater range of wind speeds than traditional turbines, increasing its efficiency and power output. And at a height of just over 110 feet, it is about one-third the size of a traditional turbine of the same power class. >>Read full article.