Wind turbines get a new shape thanks to a team of French engineers. A three year research project has led to the innovative 7.9m tall power generation system called Wind Tree (Arbre à Vent).
The biomimetics-inspired design shows a combination of a large number of tiny blades housed in the 'leaves' that turn in the wind. Taking advantage of the lower air flow, the new 3.1kW device can operate regardless of wind type and direction and respond to wind as low as 2 meters per second.
The new device is suitable for urban, rural and natural environment. The proposed silence of operation vertical axis cancels the noise of traditional wind turbines.
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“The idea came to me in a square where I saw the leaves tremble when there was not a breath of air.” said Jérôme Michaud-Larivière, the founder of the Paris-based start-up New Wind which will market the Wind Tree in 2015.