Wind energy is increasingly favored worldwide as a source of clean, renewable energy. However, residents near wind farms often express dissatisfaction with the aesthetic impact and the low-frequency vibrations generated by the spinning blades.
To address these issues, the design firm New York Atelier DNA has created a unique wind turbine called Windstalk, which can generate an amount of electricity equivalent to that of traditional blade turbines.
The Windstalk resembles a giant bamboo plant, standing at 55 meters tall, anchored on a base with a diameter ranging from 10 to 20 meters. Its structure consists of 1,203 carbon fiber rods reinforced with flexible plastic. The diameter of the stem is 30 cm at the base, tapering to 5 cm at the top. At the apex, there is a stack of piezoelectric ceramic discs, with electrodes connected by cables running along the length of each pole and a cable linking all the electrodes together. Thus, instead of rotating blades in the conventional manner to generate electricity, Windstalk sways and dances with the wind, compressing the stack of piezoelectric discs, which produces an electric current through the electrodes. At the top, a 50 cm section is fitted with an LED light that shines brightly in strong winds and dims in weak winds.
Importantly, since Windstalk relies on wind power to generate electricity, it is necessary to devise an effective energy storage solution. Inside each Windstalk, there is a torsion structure, with the two ends serving as liquid storage chambers. When the wind blows, some of the generated energy pushes water from the lower chamber to the upper chamber. When the wind calms, the water flows back down to the lower chamber to continue generating electricity.
In reality, the Windstalk project is still just an idea. Therefore, the designers have yet to determine the optimal shape for the “stems”. Computers are currently being used for simulations to provide information for this project.
