Tyer Wind, a Tunisian startup dedicated to research in the field of wind energy, has designed a wind converter that produces energy imitating the flutter of hummingbirds.
This new machine marks a revolutionary breakthrough in the field of mechanics, being much more compact and silent than conventional turbine, and ideal for residential areas.
Its design is based on the movement of the wings of the hummingbird, a small bird making a humming sound created by its beating wings. This bird also stands out for its speed and efficiency in flight, with some species being able to beat their wings more than 80 times per second as part of a technique that allows them to stay in the air using a smaller amount of energy.
The new highly efficient convertor/ turbine has two wings with a vertical axis made of carbon fiber of 1.60 m each.
The Tyer Wind’s innovation is able to convert the resultant force of the lift and the drag forces into work and has, therefore, limited level of drag at the structure, resulting to 2 major advantages:
- (1) lower solicitation at the mast resulting in lower civil works costs,
- (2) it can resist high wind velocity and therefore can generate higher energy output.
Another major advantage of this technology is the possibility of installing 2 machines in 2 levels on the same tower. This would result in a better space optimization and a higher electrical output per square km.
Reference- Futurism, Tyer Wind website and PR, Civil Engineer website