So I imagine "stalks" of flexible material, perhaps with some vanes to simluate the structure of corn. The stalks are in neat rows on winter farmland - as wind travels down the stalks they oscillate in waves, generating electricity from their oscillations... If used in winter, could be used as a windbreak as well.
-- bigattichouse, Jul 26 2009

(?) Piezo Wave Generation http://cds.comsol.c.../2955/Zurkinden.pdf
I know this is older than the paper, can't find the sources though. Same basic idea in ocean waves. [MechE, Jul 26 2009]

Wind Power Generation from "Poles" http://www.gizmag.c...talk-concept/16647/
he has it right [evilpenguin, Nov 16 2015]

"Not nearly as cost-effective as windmills."
Really? The whole assembly might be easier to transport, it's likely to assemble with no special equipment, maintenance wouldn't necessarily require shutting the whole thing down, and virtually no failure would be catastrophic.

(I'll grant it's probably not as land efficient as a windmill)
-- phoenix, Jul 26 2009


novel idea to use it in "unused spaces" [+]
-- FlyingToaster, Jul 26 2009


That's a mighty interesting link there [bigsleep]. If those taut membranes were scaled to different sizes, they might be able to catch different windspeeds efficiently. As well as producing a pleasant, ever-changing droning chord, humming like an ambient version of windchimes.
-- BunsenHoneydew, Jul 26 2009


Something attached to a live corn stalk and cheap or durable enough to be run through a combine ?

Something that will pass through a cow's digest system without harm ?
-- popbottle, Nov 16 2015


[Bigattichouse] Had it right. Check out my link. They are thinking of building these now.
-- evilpenguin, Nov 16 2015



random, halfbakery