Design and manufacturing of a new generation of dual-purpose wind turbine generators, invented by Iranian scientist, Dr. Daryoush Allaei, are to be indigenized in Iran.
The new wind power generation technology, called INVELOX, not only generates power but also help reduce air pollution, Masoud Sedehi, CEO of PacificWind and also the co-founder of Novin Mabna Ltd was quoted by ISNA as saying on Sunday.
INVELOX takes a novel approach to wind power generation as it doesn’t rely on high wind speeds. Instead, it captures wind at any speed, even a breeze, from a portal located above ground. “Thus, it can be deployed in more than 80 percent of regions in Iran,” Sedehi noted.
Moreover, polluted air is purified by passing through a filter, Sedehi said, noting that the new technology is of great benefit for cities suffering from air pollution.
INVELOX replaces conventional wind turbines that incorporate massive turbine generator systems on top of a tower. It is a technology designed to funnel wind energy to ground-based generators.
Instead of snatching bits of energy from the wind as it passes through the blades of a rotor, the wind is captured with a funnel and directed through a tapering passageway that naturally accelerates its flow. This stream of kinetic energy then drives a generator that is installed safely and economically at ground level. The wind flow from multiple collection funnels is concentrated in such a way that the resulting power output rises almost exponentially.
Bringing the air-flow from the top of the tower to ground level allows the generation of more power with much smaller turbine blades. The tower used is about 50 percent shorter than traditional wind towers, and uses a ground-based turbine with blades 84 percent as long.
Comparative Advantages
Comparing INVELOX commercial-grade wind energy generation with the same turbine on a traditional tower-mounted system indicates that INVELOX significantly outperforms the traditional turbine and is competitive with natural gas and hydroelectric generation by producing 600 percent more electrical energy (kWh), operating at wind speeds as low as 1 mile per hour and in low wind regimes, reducing installation capital cost to less that $750 per KW, increasing energy production capacity to record high of 72 percent.
INVELOX costs less than 1 cent per kWh, making it competitive with natural gas and hydroelectric powered generation. It requires no government subsidies to be profitable, reduces operating cost by 50% of current wind turbine technology, and minimizes environment, animal, bird and human impact.
Patent rights of the new technology have been fully purchased for utilization in Iran, Sedehi said. Measures have been taken to localize the technology by a group of Iranian experts.
Iranian industrial engineering universities, including Sharif University of Technology, Isfahan University of Technology, and Hormozgan University, have played a significant role in introducing the technology to Iranian scientists by inviting its inventor, Allaei, to Iran.
Allaei received his PhD from Purdue University in the field of mechanics with his doctoral emphasis on Systems and Structural Dynamics. He currently serves as the Chairman and Director of Research and Development of QRDc, Inc., a research and development company specializing in Energy Flow Control and Energy Efficiency, in Minnesota.
Several industrial companies together with private investors have signed agreements on joint cooperation to commission the first INVELOX units in Iran.
