Directory:Rick Dickson:Wind Tree
From PESWiki
You know how leaves flutter in the wind? What if there were a device that could harness the energy of hundreds of leaves via the piezoelectric technology that converts movement or pressure into electricity? A "tree" made of such leaves could be installed in urban settings to generate electricity, without upsetting the neighbors or violating community aesthetic codes.
Richard Dickson is developing such a system and has filed a patent on the same. His passive wind harvesting technology that uses *PVDF and piezoelectric ceramics materials woven into textile-like material to form artificial leaves for a bio-mimicking "tree".
- * PVDF = polyvinyl material that generates piezoelectricity...originally developed for NASA.
| Table of contents |
|
1.1 Official Website |
About
| This is a new page! |
|---|
|
Official Website
None yet.
This PESWiki page is the first website coverage.
Latest Developments
Mr. Dickson is currently developing a prototype of both the "Wind Tree" and "Kelp Tree".
How it Works
This is a unique passive wind power harvesting scheme. Each artificial PVDF/ceramic textile "leaf" on the wind tree only generates small voltages, but together in series, thousands of such leaves on a single tree can produce significant power.
This illustration of the "Wind Tree" is greatly simplified. In reality it would be very tall (perhaps 75 feet or more) with thousands of leaves on the artificial branches. The core trunk would be made of hollow iron pipe, or perhaps heavy duty PVC pipe. In any case, the branches and trunk could be covered with faux plastic tree bark to make the tree look more aesthetic.
- - - -
The leaf node generates electricity two ways: (1) from the AFC woven textile leaf itself as wind bends it and (2) at the leaf node on the artificial branch, there is a curved PVDF piezoelectric actuator. This actuator generates electricity as well when the knobbed Teflon bearing, attached to the end of the leaf, impacts it in response to wind.
The electrical output of piezoelectric materials has been increasing in recent years with advances in materials science. The AFCs are the latest advance. It is possible future piezoelectric materials will produce even greater amounts of electricity.
- Advanced Fiber Composite (AFC) Actuators (http://www.freeenergynews.com/Directory/Piezoelectric/Advanced_Fiber_Composit_Actuators_specs.pdf) (pdf) - Document about existing, plausible piezoelectric technology specifications.
Advantages
Advantages over conventional wind turbine generators include lower wind velocities to activate, can be sited in residential areas, thus reducing line loss and distance to the power grid or homes, lack of a noisy wind turbine blade, lower maintenance costs and aesthetics (it looks like a tree).
The advantages of piezoelectricity include: (1) clean, (2) very low maintenance, not a mechanical generator system, (3) simplicity of design, since the materials themselves generate electricity, (4) long lasting (doesn't wear out like solar cells), and (5) many applications from textiles to electronic actuators.
The life cycle costs of the "Wind Tree" are lower than conventional wind turbines over time due to non-mechanical design (no parts to wear out, etc.)
All these advantages have the potential of opening up major new areas for wind power production.
Applications
Wind trees could be purchased by homeowners and installed in their backyards (anchored with cement block in ground) as well. Once piezoelectrics are advanced further, one could imagine "Wind Tree" forests, "planted" on commercial plantations to harvest wind, while also performing many of the functions of a real forest as well. Thus, "Wind Tree" technology is environmentally friendly, more so than conventional wind turbines, which are unsightly, noisy, and kill migrating birds.
The technology could also be applied to designing underwater artificial "Kelp" type forests anchored to the sea bed in a frame. The individual artificial kelp leaves could be made out of AFCs with PVDF actuators in the nodes. This would be an underwater variant of the Wind Tree design. Tidal motion and wave action near the surface would provide the motive force to activate the AFC textiles and generate electricity. The artificial "Kelp" would be planted close to shore in shallow waters, so that both tidal and wave energy could be harnessed to generate piezoelectricity.
The "Kelp Tree" variant has many advantages over wave and tidal powe generators, including simplicity of construction: basically just a sea bed frame to anchor the artificial kelp leaves and the leaves themselves plus associated wiring; lower maintenance costs than mechanical generator systems (seawater is extremely corrosive), and can be sited closer to shore. Finally, the "Kelp Tree" forest concept is environmentally friendly, and performs many of the functions of a real kelp tree forest, including sheltering marine life. There are no environmental disadvantages to this concept.
Finally, the "Kelp Tree" forest would produce more power than the "Wind Tree" concept, because the artificial AFC kelp leaves would be individually much longer (perhaps twenty to forty feet each), and wave and tidal action are more reliable motive forces than wind.
Cost
The "wind tree" life cycle cost is cheaper than a conventional wind turbine, mainly due to lower maintenance costs and reduced power distribution costs (sited closer to the grid). However, the initial cost of each unit is higher than a conventional wind turbine; but because it is a non-mechanical system and can be sited closer to the power grid, the long term costs of operation are expected to be lower.
The "kelp tree" life cycle costs are similarly cheaper than mechanical wave power or tidal power renewable energy systems due to lower maintenance costs (corrosive impact of seawater is minimized on this type of passive power harvesting system and since the kelp forest can be sited close in shore, it is cheaper to service it), and ease of setup (basically just a seabed anchoring frame, artificial kelp leaves with buoyancy bladders, and associated insulated wiring).
Data
"I have some drawings and calculations, which I can email to you later this weekend. Currently, I am working on a small demonstration prototype (very reduced scale). When it is completed and tested, I will forward photos and test data results." -- Rick Dickson (Sept. 14, 2007)
Patents
Dickson has filed for a US provisional patent in July of 2007.
Profiles
Company: Power Recovery Systems LLC
Dickson has a small Oregon based R&D firm, Power Recovery Systems, LLC, which serves as the corporate umbrella for his renewable energy inventions.
Inventor: Rick Dickson
Other inventions by Rick Dickson
- Piezoelectric Generator - Richard Dickson proposes using the piezoelectric effect for generating electricity, where pressure turns into electricity, from environments such as wave action or roadway impact. The question is one of cost and feasibility, not whether or not it would work.
- Dickson 'Hydrosphere' for harnessing deep water pressure - Invention by Richard Dickson is a new type of enclosed hydroelectric dam that works off pressure differentials in sea or deep lake water at great depths. Dickson claims it can generate up to 500 Megawatts of continuous, non-polluting, renewable energy out of sight in oceans or deep lakes. Skeptics say there is not a means of cycling the input energy, and it cannot serve as a primary energy generator.
Coverage
In the News
- Google News > Dickson wind piezoelectric (http://news.google.com/news?q=dickson+wind+piezoelectric)
- Featured in the Oregonian (Portland, Oregon, USA newspaper) in Aug 07.
Other Coverage
Comments
New Energy Congress member comments
Ground wind speeds not practical
On Sept. 15,2007, NEC member, Sterling D. Allan wrote:
The increase in power derived from a wind turbine is a function of a cube (to the third power) of the increase in wind speed. Low wind contains very little power. High wind contains proportionately much more. That is why conventional turbines are situated high and in regions with a history of high wind. The wind speed next to the ground, especially in urban settings, is usually very low.
Yes, all factors the same, a "wind tree" might be less expensive over time than a conventional bladed wind turbine. However, all factors are not the same. This application is being proposed for urban settings, where wind speeds are inadequate, and hence where a traditional turbine would not be practical. So what you will end up with is a very expensive power generator that normally puts out very little power, with a few exceptions during wind storms.
The initial market for this technology will need to be urban settings that have higher average wind speeds, but where zoning laws prohibit wind turbines. Once economies of scale kick in, with improvements in material science, then the price might drop to make the technology suitable to less windy areas; but it will probably never be feasible for the majority of residential settings due to inadequate wind.
Rick Dickson wrote on 9/17/07:
- Sterling's comments have some merit. There are drawbacks to the invention, but the technology, when properly matured, could be a valuable addition to generating electrical power from wind energy. It opens up entirely over-looked regions with lower wind velocities; and could ultimately be a valuable addition for the homeowner seeking to lower his electricity costs.
- The piezoelectric textile technology is improving constantly. Newer ceramic textiles generate more powerful voltages. Still we are talking only small voltages for each piezoelectric "leaf"; but together, in series, they can produce significant amounts of power.
- Piezoelectric textiles do not need high wind velocities to generate electricity, nor do they require expensive maintenance, like a mechanical wind turbine. These are the two greatest advantages; and life cycle costs are cheaper as a result over conventional wind turbines.
- Finally, there is the environmental impact to be considered. Conventional "wind farms" are considered "eyesores" by many people; and most communities don't want them. Here in Oregon, they are mostly sited in the remote areas of the Columbia Gorge; but even there, they face resistance from local residents. The problem is not just one of aesthetics. They are also very noisy and can kill migrating birds.
- Unfortunately, we need them for now. However, I consider "wind tree" technology to be the next generation of wind technology with many future advantages: aesthetically pleasing (designed to bio-mimic real trees), quiet, low maintenance costs, and completely safe. Best of all, the average homeowner could have one in his/her backyard, providing power to the local grid, and reducing the homeowner's utility costs.
Integrate randomness for good aesthetics
On Sept. 26,2007, NEC member, Sterling D. Allan wrote:
Try to avoid having your "trees" looking like those cell towers that presume to look like trees, but their perfect symmetry makes them totally unconvincing. Use random lengths and angles, within certain parameters, so that the tree actually looks like a tree. No two trees look alike, which is one of their characteristics.
On Oct. 5, 2007, Rick Dickson wrote:
Sterling has an excellent point there. A potential "wind tree" forest would be more aesthetic-looking, if the "wind trees" were constructed of material cut at random lenghts and angles. Interestingly, a "wind tree" forest might also provide some of the functions of a real forest as well: habitat for birds, squirrels, and other small animals, as well as the important forest cover function of reducing soil runoff and cooling the ground temperature.
Once the material science of piezoelectric textiles advances enough, I am sure "wind tree" and "kelp tree" technology will increasingly advance to the point that they will become significant players in the renewable energy device market.
"On Oct. 6, 2007, Rick Dickson wrote:"
Sterling's initial comment about the formula for computing wind power does not apply to piezoelectric textile systems. The formula applies only to a mechanical wind generator system, which the "Wind Tree" concept is not. Piezoelectric textiles can be activated by much lower wind velocities, albeit at lower individual voltages. The same can be said for the "Kelp Tree" concept...simple ocean swells and tidal action would be enough to bend the "Kelp Tree" leaves and generate consistent electrical power.
"On Feb. 9, 2008, Rick Dickson wrote:"
I have been interviewed by a film producer, who is making a movie for the Discovery Channel about renewable energy devices. The producer was interested in the Wind Tree, Kelp Tree, and piezoelectric roadbed concepts, so I hope to see them publicized soon. It appears that the piezoelectric Kelp Tree has the potential for the most immediate development, as it can generate considerable quantities of electrical power nearshore, while providing critical ocean fauna habitat. There are no negative environmental consequences to any of the piezoelectric technologies discussed above, other than those related to manufacture of the piezoelectric materials themselves. The problem remains one of economics. The technology is feasible, simple, and cheap over the long-term; but the cost per kilowatt hour is still prohibitive in the short-term compared with conventional renewable energy technologies. Since life-cycle costing is not always considered, piezoelectric large scale power generation schemes tend to fall out of consideration. However, when total life-cycle costs, including repairs and maintenance are considered, piezoelectrics are more competitive, but currently still more expensive than more conventional technologies. However, if total costs and benefits to the environment were considered, these devices might be considered more practical for implementation. I plan on testing a very small scale piezoelectric Kelp Tree bed experiment on the Oregon coast this summer; and hopefully collect some useful data.
Contact
Rick Dickson
phone: 971-227-9085
email: hydroman1213@yahoo.com (mailto:hydroman1213@yahoo.com?subject=Wind_Tree_featured_at_PESWiki.com)
See also
- Other Directory listings
• Latest
• A-I
• J-R
• S-Z
• Tree
• News
- PESWiki home page</nowiki>
