Comments on: Wind Turbines Might Not Stand Up to Hurricane Irene http://inhabitat.com/wind-turbines-might-not-stand-up-to-hurricane-irene/ Green design & eco innovation for a better world Thu, 23 May 2013 14:55:52 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc By: Blu3RSX http://inhabitat.com/wind-turbines-might-not-stand-up-to-hurricane-irene/comment-page-1/#comment-351857 Blu3RSX Tue, 30 Aug 2011 14:33:22 +0000 http://inhabitat.com/?p=292471#comment-351857 @zeppflyer I find your lack of faith disturbing. lol I actually pursued this very topic as part of a design competition where the wind energy from a hurricane would be used for dewatering purposes: http://challenge.bfi.org/application_summary/12 and seamusdubh is correct that the states with the lowest annual winds speeds are actually the same regions which experience the highest national wind speeds during hurricane season. There have been hurricanes in Florida since before there was a Florida and we do know that it is a seasonal event. If there were a time to advance technology in wind energy this is the time to do it. If we can design a space shuttle to overcome extreme wind speeds, we can do the same for our wind generators. @zeppflyer

I find your lack of faith disturbing. lol

I actually pursued this very topic as part of a design competition where the wind energy from a hurricane would be used for dewatering purposes:

http://challenge.bfi.org/application_summary/12

and seamusdubh is correct that the states with the lowest annual winds speeds are actually the same regions which experience the highest national wind speeds during hurricane season.

There have been hurricanes in Florida since before there was a Florida and we do know that it is a seasonal event.

If there were a time to advance technology in wind energy this is the time to do it.

If we can design a space shuttle to overcome extreme wind speeds, we can do the same for our wind generators.

]]> By: zeppflyer http://inhabitat.com/wind-turbines-might-not-stand-up-to-hurricane-irene/comment-page-1/#comment-351563 zeppflyer Sat, 27 Aug 2011 15:11:13 +0000 http://inhabitat.com/?p=292471#comment-351563 @DGetz, It's not just about max wind speed, but consistency as well. While yes, we could build a turbine to gather power from a hurricane, it wouldn't make sense to do so. A turbine designed to do anything more than feather its prop and try to ride out something like Irene would require massive strengthening which would make it more expensive to build and far heavier and less efficient under normal conditions. You'd, furthermore, need either more transmission capacity or massive amounts of storage to take advantage of that energy. Building up billions of dollars in infrastructure that would actually create a less efficient system doesn't make sense when you wouldn't need it except for the maybe half dozen or so times a year when a hurricane/tropical storm hits. Not to mention, the heavier power distribution would have to be very extensive to be of any use since areas around our hurricane-drenched turbine will see a decrease in electricity consumption during the storm as businesses shutter up and power lines are blown down. @DGetz, It’s not just about max wind speed, but consistency as well. While yes, we could build a turbine to gather power from a hurricane, it wouldn’t make sense to do so. A turbine designed to do anything more than feather its prop and try to ride out something like Irene would require massive strengthening which would make it more expensive to build and far heavier and less efficient under normal conditions. You’d, furthermore, need either more transmission capacity or massive amounts of storage to take advantage of that energy. Building up billions of dollars in infrastructure that would actually create a less efficient system doesn’t make sense when you wouldn’t need it except for the maybe half dozen or so times a year when a hurricane/tropical storm hits.

Not to mention, the heavier power distribution would have to be very extensive to be of any use since areas around our hurricane-drenched turbine will see a decrease in electricity consumption during the storm as businesses shutter up and power lines are blown down.

]]> By: seamusdubh http://inhabitat.com/wind-turbines-might-not-stand-up-to-hurricane-irene/comment-page-1/#comment-351530 seamusdubh Sat, 27 Aug 2011 05:42:12 +0000 http://inhabitat.com/?p=292471#comment-351530 Anybody notice that almost ALL of the states that are prone to being hit by hurricanes are the ones not producing wind power. Anybody notice that almost ALL of the states that are prone to being hit by hurricanes are the ones not producing wind power.

]]> By: DGetz http://inhabitat.com/wind-turbines-might-not-stand-up-to-hurricane-irene/comment-page-1/#comment-351489 DGetz Fri, 26 Aug 2011 16:55:49 +0000 http://inhabitat.com/?p=292471#comment-351489 Am I the only person wondering how much additional power could be generated by the significant wind speed increase resulting from this storm that these turbines were designed to handle? That is the other side to these storms. The prospect of harnessing their power. We crunch so much data looking for the windiest possible sites in the world for turbines. Maybe we should harness the power of hurricanes. Am I the only person wondering how much additional power could be generated by the significant wind speed increase resulting from this storm that these turbines were designed to handle?

That is the other side to these storms. The prospect of harnessing their power. We crunch so much data looking for the windiest possible sites in the world for turbines. Maybe we should harness the power of hurricanes.

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