WINDGRABBER™ (WG) is a novel new roof or pole top mounted wind turbine system proposed for product commercialization up to 50 kWe. WG is projected to be cost-attractive in an environmentally friendly manner. The WG system uses the available energy in the wind via (1) a passively yawed air impact inlet air scoop, (2) a flow tube, (3) an air turbine and (4) a multiphased air inlet with an air impact - drag type outlet section.
The WG wind turbine system preferentially utilizes a combination enclosed - radial out-flow, cross-flow, reaction-impulse air turbine of squirrel cage configuration, using either a single or double axial flow inlet of centrifugal fan design with backwardly curved, air foil air blades mounted on the discharge end of a flow tube. The WG wind turbine design is based on the air power instead of the wind power equations, combined with duct resistance, wind impact and wind drag calculations, to determine system wind energy conversion effectiveness with respect to the Betz limit, as well as overall system efficiency. Low pressure drop screens may be provided at the various inlets and outlets to protect birds and small mammals from being drawn into rotating components. A currently proposed Phase I – CAE modeling for conceptual design verification, system optimization and 300 watt pilot plant test program, followed by a Phase II – design improvement and scale up to 3,000 watt prototype demonstration program and followed by a Phase III cost reduction, product improvement and scale up to a 5,000 watt commercial demonstration program is currently being considered by BCK Consulting, L.L.C. (BCK) and West Texas A & M University (WTAMU).
The history of WG, up to and including its latest developmental status, will be discussed in this paper with projections offered regarding its future product commercialization prospects. Please see ASME paper ES2010-90062 presented previously [Ref.1].
