A large single blade with an unstable airfoil creating back and forth oscillating motion which creates power through piezoelectric or mechanical means.

High wind speeds force blade back prsenting a different aspect and more stable airfoil to prevent damage.
-- subflower, Oct 14 2005

Omegatron's Microflappers Microflappers
[Ling, Oct 14 2005]

Tacoma Narrows bridge http://www.visitkit...ityID=46&ThingID=93
An unintended example of this principle...? [Adze, Oct 15 2005]

For reference, there was an idea somewhere that used mini-vanes with piezo electric devices.
-- Ling, Oct 14 2005


Could you elaborate? If I understaned correctly (& I most likely don't) Is this a kite on a stick that swings back to a point & then is spring pushed back into load catching mode with the blade tilting parallel to the wind on the return stroke?

(sort of like rowing a canoe?)
-- Zimmy, Oct 15 2005


Zimmy, it's more like sculling a boat, knifeblade stroke. I hope that explains everything.

I've been sketching something like this. Think of a giant feather stuck in the ground, flexing side-to-side. It could work well.
-- baconbrain, Oct 15 2005


Popular Science had something like this in about 1980 (sorry, I can't provide a link to a print magazine). It was a simple metal strip with piezoelectric crystal bonded to each side. As the wind blew the device would flap like a flag in the wind and the flex would produce power in the piezoelectric crystals. They were suggesting things like building them into guard rails along the highways. The concept is OK, but I seem to recall the amounts of power they were able to produce being quite small.
-- NoOneYouKnow, Oct 15 2005


found this project summary

Title: Wind-Generated Electricity Using Flexible Piezoelectric Materials: Enhancing the Generation Efficiency

Description: The researchers will study ways of substantially increasing the efficiency of a novel way of generating electrical power from the wind. Flag-like membranes (termed piezoelements) composed of flexible piezoelectric materials will be positioned in the wind, which will cause the element to undulate or flap in a manner similar to a waving flag. The stresses induced in the piezoelectric material by the flapping will generate a voltage (due to the piezoelectric material properties) between the electrodes positioned on the surfaces of the piezoelement and thus electrical power in a connected load.

In other words this has been done to death.
-- dentworth, Oct 15 2005


Simiar Dentworth, but much, much larger and thin.

"Stuck a feather in his cap and.."

Gracefully curved backwards.
-- subflower, Oct 28 2005



random, halfbakery