Maglev Wind Turbine

Chinese designers have shown during the Asian Wind Energy Exhibition, the first wind turbine that runs on magnetic levitation. International observers have considered this achievement as a step forward in terms of intellectual property rights in China.

The device, called “Maglev generator,” or Maglev Wind turbine, has been announced as a peak achievement in the evolution of global wind energy technology. The generator was developed by the Energy Research Institute in Guangzhou, under supervision of the China Academy of Sciences and a corporation Zhongke Guangzhou Hengyuan Energy Science & Technology Co., Ltd. It is expected that the Maglev wind turbine exceeds the capacity of traditional wind turbines by 20%.

According to the group’s chief scientist in charge of developing the new technology, Guokun Li, the Maglev generator can dramatically reduce the operational cost of wind farms, almost as much as 50%. According to him, this would get down the price of kilowatt-hours of wind energy below the 5 U.S. cents, according to statements by Guokun Li.

The head of Energy Zhongke said during the exhibition that the Maglev is able to utilize winds with initial speeds as low as 1.5 meters per second, and lower cutting speed (minimum speed at which it begins to generate power) is only 3 m / s.

When comparing the performance in hours of operation, this new technology brings extra 1000 hours per year times traditionally considered in wind energy.

The Worldwatch Institute, citing the news agency Xinhua News says that the new technology could potentially fill the power vacuum in those locations with no electrical power to exploit the low-speed wind resources that were previously not exploitable.

Xinhua News reports that more than 70 million households without access to electricity, many in isolated areas of the system.

“With an increasing number of investors, Chinese and international, joining the burgeoning world market for wind energy is expected that this technology will create new opportunities in areas of the globe where the winds are low, such as mountainous regions, islands, observatories and television stations. In addition, the Maglev generator will be capable of providing artificial lighting along the road network, taking advantage of the currents created by the vehicles as they move. ”

The global market for wind energy has experienced a tremendous growth in the world with Germany, Spain and the U.S. a leader in MW installed last year. The production of energy from wind turbines has grown very rapidly as much installed wind turbines. The global sales of wind equipment has reached 10,000 million U.S. dollars in 2004 and is estimated to reach 49,000 million per year in 2012 according to the Worldwatch Institute report.

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