Wind power is one of the fastest growing forms of alternative energy in the world. More and more, wind power mills are seen in the countryside, in large wind farms and for the most part, away from city life. But a new form of wind power is now designed to work in an urban environment. VOA producer Zulima Palacio has the story. Mill Arcega narrates.

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New Wind Turbine Design Good for Rural, Urban Environment

The world's biggest wind turbine maker has seen business boom amid uncertainty about oil prices.

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Wind power demand spirals

The world's biggest wind turbine maker has seen business boom amid uncertainty about oil prices.

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Wind power demand spirals

The world's biggest wind turbine maker has seen business boom amid uncertainty about oil prices.

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Wind power demand spirals

That's a simple homemade wind power turbine. We are using a car alternator to generate DC current.

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Wind power turbine homemade made in Quebec, Canada

Silent Wind Turbine .The Vertical Axis Wind-Power Turbine ( VAWT ) is a new product designed . We started the research on VAWT 15 years ago. Now many of the famous experts the world --wide have accepted such new technology and this technology will definitely lead the development of the small and middle size wind-power turbines. Following are the detail features of such VAWT:
Safe in operation:
Due to the usage of the vertical blade and the force support is of triangle form, the wind force will mainly press on the wheel. So the blades will not be able to fall down, to be broken or to be thrown far away.
Noise:
The way of the turning of the blades is of horizontal and the design of the blade is of the scheme of the wing of the air-plane, so in operation the VAWT will not make any noise.
Capacity of wind resistance:
Due to the advantage of the design of the VAWT, the press force the turbine suffered is minimized and as the result such VAWT can stand on the extra strong typhoon of 45 m/s.
Space requirement:
It needs much smaller working space than other kinds of wind-power turbines. Thus not only saves the space, but also aises the working efficiency.
Power curve:
It needs lower wind speed for its starting and the increasing of the power is slow and stable. So its production capacity is 10-30% higher than other kinds of turbines.
Scope of the wind power needed:
Due to the adoption of the new control system, this VAWT is suitable to be used in the wind speed scope from 2.0 -- 25 m/s.. It means we can get full use of the wind source and producing more power economically.
Brake system:
This VAWT is equipped with both the automatic brake system and the handle brake system. The handle brake system can meet the needs to brake the equipment in the area where there is no typhoon and the extra strong wind.
Maintenance:
The turbine of the VAWT is of direct driven permanent magnetic system, without using the gear box
MOB:+86-013324477373 TEL:+86-431-84524903

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Vertical Axis Wind-Power Turbine ( VAWT )

Vertical turbine for low noise, small foot-print wind power.

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Turby: Urban personal wind power

kiteforsail.com, Kites & Boats are a natural combination

Reduce your fuel consumption, increase safety and help out the environment.

Kite for Sail is now offering introductory programs to help boat owners with rising fuel costs.
Sign up during the introductory period and save 10% off the purchase price. Sign up today www.kiteforsail.com

Dan Tracy is standing on his 24-foot Corsair trimaran, just off Maliko Gulch on Aug. 29 2007. He and fellow crewmember Ian Fisher move deftly about the deck as they prepare to launch one of the world's only kite-propelled boats. A gentle breeze sways palm trees overhead. "We really picked the perfect day to go out," Tracy says.

The two-member crew works in a harmony born of more than 100 launches, some more successful than others. "At first it was a lot of trial and error, but now we can launch successfully every time," Fisher says.

Gone from their boat is the mast—a requirement of all sailboats dating back centuries. In its place stands an apparatus looking like a gigantic fishing reel. It's a winch designed to steer a hefty kite, like those used for kite boarding. The system takes about five minutes to set up, while a mast can require an hour and a half.

The kite's height above the boat allows it to catch wind that's often stronger and steadier than that nearer to the water's surface. Once overhead, the kite lifts the boat slightly out of the water, providing a much smoother ride than traditional sailboats. The boat can gain speeds of up to 16 knots.

But Tracy and Fisher want more than just a comfortable ride. "A typical trip uses only one-eighth to one-sixteenth a gallon of gas," Tracy says. They burn fuel only to move in and out of the harbor.

Tracy's been sailing since he was a kid. The idea for the kite-boat came to him in 2004, when he bought an 18-foot Hobie Cat catamaran.

"After I bought the Hobie Cat I realized I didn't want to use the mast," he says. "It was a big hassle to set up, and on the water it wasn't very comfortable. It could have flipped really easily."

Tracy, an avid kiteboarder, started asking around to see if there were any kite systems available for boats. "Once I found out there weren't any, I decided to develop my own," he says. "I wanted to be able to go out and catch fish."

Now they do just that. Not more than 20 minutes into the trip, Fisher spots the telltale dip of one of the fishing poles. Seconds later a small Mahi comes writhing onto the deck. "This one needs to go back," Fisher says as he carefully removes the hook.

The late morning sun shines off the water and onto Fisher's face as he recasts the line into the water. Last month, when he and Tracy wrestled a 20-pound Ono aboard their vessel, they became the first in the world to catch their dinner while trolling on kite power. The event claimed them a spot on a local news broadcast.

Eventually, Tracy and Fisher envision cargo ships propelled by kites and solar power, drastically reducing global greenhouse gas emissions. They hope to be traveling inter-island routes by the end of this year, and plan to circumnavigate the globe within the next five.

In Hamburg, Germany, the company SkySails is moving in the same direction. Since 2001, they've been retrofitting barges, superyachts and fishing trawlers with kites as a supplement to gas powered engines. According to their website the system can reduce a ship's fuel consumption by up to 50 percent.

Back on Maui, Tracy and Fisher are gaining friends in high places. The two recently received a letter from U.S. Senator Daniel Akaka (D, Hawai'i), congratulating them on their work developing a new sustainable technology. Naish, Fiberglass Hawaii and others have signed on as sponsors.

Now, as the trimaran pulls back into Kahului Harbor, curious fishermen and onlookers dot the shoreline.

"This is the only boat like this in the world," Tracy says from the winch platform. It's looking like that will change very soon.

Continue here: *** Kiteboat *** Wind Power News ***

Inventor of the Afterburner for Rolls Royce, Joe Holden shows us a single tower, 6-turbine wind power system scaleable from 3 kw to 20 kw systems.

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Joe Holden's Wind Power Break Through

Juan de Bedout, a scientist at General Electric's Global Research Center discusses wind power at a recent energy briefing at the Technology Center.

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Making Wind Power A Reality