You could build small networks for heat distribution, in which one or a few windmills supply heat to a community of buildings or a factory. But that's because you heat people, not spaces. But if you want AC power for tools or charging batteries, you'll need to spend more than $3,000 for a high-end system. In these applications, small wind electric systems can be used in combination with other components -- including a small solar electric system -- to create hybrid power systems. March 11, 2019 at 09:56 AM. Please enable JavaScript if you would like to comment on this blog. One of these builders, Jrgen Krogsgaard, wrote a manual in the 1970s and I have asked him if it could be published. The writer of the book chapter may know, but he didn't answer my questions. Very interesting article! The Joule is defined as the energy equivalent to the work done by a force of 1 Newton over a distance of 1 meter, i.e. They conclude that a mechanical heat pump + mechanical windmill is the most cost effective realization of wind powered heating. In short, the heat generating windmill addresses the main disadvantages of wind power: its low power density, and its intermittency. The convolutions used (and I'm only guessing here) is that 70% efficiency means 30% loss, and that 90% efficient means 10% loss, so 1/3 the loss is the same as a 3x gain. https://www.catchpower.com.au/live-catch-feed, Posted by: Much less known is that a mechanical windmill can do the same in a windy climate -- by oversizing its brake system, a windmill can generate lots of direct heat through friction. Tests have shown that small wind turbines which produce electricity are very inefficient and dont always generate as much energy as was needed to produce them. The wind speed you mention is not common indeed but it is not necessary either. This article is amazing and I love the idea of this. [7] Many were built with used car parts and other discarded materials. For example, you could build a desk or a bench with water pipes inside, heated by a small mechanical windmill and heat storage. Direct heat production thus offers the possibility to save three times more greenhouse gas emissions and fossil fuels using the same number of windmills, which are also cheaper and more sustainable to build. Murray Read | Kris De Decker | These are comprised of a magnet mounted on a rotating shaft, and can reach temperatures of up to 600 degrees Celsius. Posted by: Compression will give you a heater, and then releasing the compressed air will give you cooling. The EcoFlow DELTA kit with two 160w solar panels supplies all the power you need for a smaller shed. Prototypes of heat generating windmills, built by Esra L. Sorensen in 1974. The " how to keep a shed warm without electricity " is a guide that tells users how they can heat their sheds without using electricity. Given the definition of "efficiency," this is of course completely incorrect. While renewable energy sources account for more than 20% of global electricity demand (mostly hydroelectric), they only account for 10% of global heat demand (mostly biomass). Image: Water brake windmill developed by O. Helgason (left), water brake with variable load system (right). The printed archives now amount to four volumes with a total of 2,398 pages and 709 images. For example, here in Barcelona, it would be useless. Direct heat production thus offers the possibility to save three times more greenhouse gas emissions and fossil fuels using the same number of windmills, which are also cheaper and more sustainable to build. Peter Sharp | No way it's 300% as efficient, but without the source data, there's no way for the reader (or obviously the writer) to calculate. How would the economics or environmental considerations be affected if you were to move a lightweight windmill during the course of the year, in order to have windmill spend most of its time where the wind is blowing or the climate is cold? In particular, the electric heat pump is promoted by many governments and organisations as a sustainable solution for renewable heat generation. Theres two reasons for this. 13. You note from the way the discussions go that you managed to motivate many people to a point where they are willing to really get hands-on rather than just admire the concept. No. Sure could DIY one instead from hydro power, but would be just like a prototype - not extensively tested and very efficient. If you had any pointers to resources, links to other people's DIY direct wind-to-heat pump setups, or were planning on doing an article on those, that would be greatly appreciated! The study referenced in note 15 contradicts your claims. Or would it be better to generate e-power all the time if the turbine is capable of it? [1] [15] In this second type of heat generating windmill, heat is produced with with mechanical heat pumps or hydrodynamic retarders, not with a water brake. Like being commercialised by high view power. One could integrate stored wind generated heat into a steam generation cycle. 13. The heat medium would be work done inside the house by the electricity. It's probably going to be less practical compared to using a water brake."". A gear box would help, but this adds complexity. Purpose it serves: The box, when made successfully, will capture heat from the sunlight when kept under it for some hours. @Kris I'm not seeing the contradiction in [15]. Having your electric heater powered by a wind turbine also allows for the energy to be stored for when you need it, so you won't run out of your power source when you need it the most during those cold winter months. Heat generating windmills are also investigated for renewable electricity production, mainly because they offer a better solution for energy storage compared to batteries or other common technologies. Water brake windmills don't need steam turbines. Posted by: Two ideas that might be interesting: 1. We looked carefully at direct water heating via the actual PV panels and found there are two manufacturers (one French and the other Turkish) but they only seem to be effective at lower temperatures such as pool heating plus we have long very hot summers and solar water heaters tend to spend summers venting hot water to avoid overheating in any case. , World Bank: Renewable electricity output. Ideas anyone? February 27, 2019 at 07:03 PM. If you only need hot water for washing in an off-grid household then maybe it could be more interesting to combine. Would the heat be sufficient to kill pathogens in the water tank for longer-term water storage? I think that moving the electric generator inside is the worst of both worlds. Posted by: , Selfbuilders, Winds of Change website, Erik Grove-Nielsen. or knows someone who could? A UK based solar system could suffer from a lack of available sunshine, particularly in the winter months. Because if most of the energy loss of converting mechanical energy to electric energy is the generator, wouldn't moving the generator inside the house bring any significant benefits? The oil then transferred its heat to the water storage in the tower. Updated On Feb 2023 2,142 Reviews Studied By Customer Ratings Affiliate Disclosure 1 PK Green Solar Fan 12V 20W | Portable Solar Fan Kit for Car, Caravan, Greenhouse, Shed, Motorhome | Small DC Fan Ventila. I think this technology could be great for island communities in higher latitudes. First, not all energy loss of an electrical generator is heat, there's also noise and vibration. Posted by: We are in Perth in Western Australia. [9] This is comparable to the efficiency of a wind turbine heating water through electricity. February 27, 2019 at 07:18 PM. For example, when I was a student and still owned a desktop instead of a laptop, I has a set-up where I had put a blanket around my desk like a make-shift kotatsu, with the computer desktop poking through. The result is heat generated by wind energy. And there's also hot water production for washing and cleaning. Local heating can also be combined with direct heat production, and then you win even more. February 28, 2019 at 11:56 AM. Also, could you reverse the process to cool a house? It's probably going to be less practical compared to using a water brake. Mr Beams. metals), no generator, fewer controls necessary (associated with frequency control, transformation etc), turn rotational motion directly into heat (especially if all you want is the heat from the wind). Electricity produced by renewable energy sources can be and is being converted to heat in an indirect way. Great work and service that you are providing! For instance, what if you moved it to a nearby higher elevation during the summer? Read Low-tech Magazine with no access to a computer, a power supply, or the internet. SMALL WIND ENERGY SYSTEM WITH PERMANENT MAGNET EDDY CURRENT HEATER, Joules experiment: An historico-critical approach, Concept study of wind power utilizing direct thermal energy conversion and thermal energy storage, Real-world tests of small wind turbines in Netherlands and the UK, Usage of the Wind Energy for Heating of the Energy-Efficient Buildings: Analysis of Possibilities, Expanding the horizons of power-to-heat: Cost assessment for new space heating concepts with Wind Powered Thermal Energy Systems, four volumes with a total of 2,398 pages and 709 images, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heat_pump_and_refrigeration_cycle#Gas_cycle, https://asmedigitalcollection.asme.org/energyresources/article/144/4/040802/1120767/State-of-the-art-of-Windthermal-Turbines-A. Update to my comment above: here's an Island household in Denmark where the owners have posted comparative practical results of the Calorius 37 windmill with solar thermal collectors. It's cheaper than my oil fired neighbours, 100% carbon free and practical for many people to install now. If your turbine is positioned in the right location, a large amount of electricity can be generated quickly. One cubic meter of heated water (1 ton, 1,000 liters) can hold up to 90 kWh of heat, which is roughly one to two days of supply for a household of four persons. This results seems to be excessive compared to the other heat generating windmills, but the energy output of a windmill increases more than proportionally with the rotor diameter and the wind speed. kris de decker | The idea of direct conversion of meccanical energy of a windmill into heat is so simple that it seems impossible it has not been applied on a large scale yet. March 09, 2022 at 09:17 PM. Maybe a storage system with both hot and cold stores might be interesting. Great article. Or is it just controlling the flow rate of the water? Does anyone have one for purchase and test? There are two basic types of towers: self-supporting (free-standing) and guyed (supported with wires). I went looking for a source for eddy current heaters, however, and came up with nothing. Because the Danes already had a strong DIY-culture for small wind turbines generating electricity on farms, they started building windmills to heat their houses. Some chose the indirect path, converting wind generated electricity into heat using electric heating appliances. As the stirring rods are lowered into the BBs, the resistance rises very quickly. Almost nobody knows that a windmill can produce heat directly. Furthermore, the friction liquid in the water brake was not water but hydraulic oil, which can be heated up to much higher temperatures. Directly coupling a mechanical windmill to a mechanical heat pump is cheaper than using a gas boiler or the combination of a wind turbine and an electric heat pump. Photo by Ricard Matzen. This shed heater has an insulated body that's entirely resistant to heat and features thermal insulation in the middle. The study referenced in note 15 contradicts your claims. Its heat output was estimated to be 90 kilowatt at a wind speed of 14 m/s (Beaufort 7). A heat generating windmill with a water brake, placed inside the bottom of the tower. We are a team of researchers at Engineering Dept, MUN working on a wind powered heat generator which could one day help you save on your heating bills. May 04, 2019 at 06:52 PM. As the stirring rods are lowered into the BBs, the resistance rises very quickly. To work out the power rating of your inverter, simply add up the required wattage of all the equipment youll be using. Photo by Claus Nybroe. A direct mechanically coupled heat pump may not be as efficient as it sounds. The heat storage tank of a water brake windmill works like any other heating boiler. I just wanted to comment in relation to the article and the use of heat pumps. 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