As the world gets more populated, more advanced and even more unpredictable its need for electric power increases even more. Gone are the days when coal fired or furnace oil based systems worked well. Today these solutions are termed detrimental to the environment. Dams are good only when you have lots of inflowing water and undulating ground to move, moreover, silting chokes them up after a few years and desilting is more expensive not to mention time consuming. For the past two decades much research has gone in to alternate sources of energy (power generation). The chief amongst them b
eing Solar and Wind energy. Countries that have good wind corridors or regions where ample sunshine is available can make use of either of these technologies. These are green solutions, they pollute less and give more, require high initial investment but are eventually longer lasting and economical. Large wind turbines in off shore areas is not unheard of but just recently Statoil Hydro a Norwegian company has built the world’s first floating wind turbine. Previous turbines huge though they were, had to be fitted in the surface below sea for operation. No more of that now, the new monsters now require less effort. The present turbine is a 2.3 Mega watt system and is a pilot project put in to operations for two years for evaluation purposes. The mammoth tower stands 65 meters high, the rotors have a diameter of 80 meters. The turbine is assembled first on land and is later towed to the desired location. The company says this a much green solution in terms of noise as well since land based turbines produce enough noise to give closely related communities sleepless nights. There are less chances of birds hitting them and the turbines can be shifted elsewhere without much effort. A novel idea indeed, what’s next we ask, space based turbines?
http://www.statoilhydro.com/en/NewsAndMedia/News/2009/Pages/InnovativePowerPlantOpened.aspx
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Article by nauman
I am 39 year old technology enthusiast trying to keep myself updated on the latest happenings in this field. I like to keep things simple and everyday I learn something new to share with the world!