Featured back in November last year in Innovative Wind Turbine Designs of the Year, the FloDesign Wind Turbine is all set to go beyond the prototype stage. Soaring high on hopes with a $34.5 million funding by Kleiner Perkins Caufield and Byers and an $8.3 million grant by the US Department of Energy (DOE), now the US-based R&D set up will begin commercializing the jet engine-inspired wind turbines that are three to four times more efficient than today’s towering, three-bladed models. Other investors include Goldman Sachs, Technology Partners and VantagePoint Venture Partners.
The cowlings-made turbines direct air into patterns creating spinning vortexes and it accelerates the passing air. The turbine works equally well at lower wind speeds and is indifferent to volatile wind patterns. The video provided below shows how the small blades of FloDesign work actually.
Via: CleanTechnica