Eastern Wind Power, Inc. (EWP), based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, worked with German industrial giant, Siemens, to create a vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT) to go on the roofs of high-rise buildings or pole-mounted in open, high wind areas.
EWP designed, built, and tested a Sky Farm 50-kW VAWT for this application. The turbine stands 20-ft high and stretches 16-ft in diameter. Siemens developed the generator and inverter. Erectng several 50-kW turbines about 16-ft apart can create a wind farm".
On top of the successful joint venture, EWP has worked with companies like DuPont oncoatings for blades and with 3M on icing test for blades. In addition, the team has worked with SLIPS Technologies, a technology spinoff from Harvard University. SLIPS stands for slippery liquid-infused porous surfaces, which makes it an ideal wayo keep ice or debris forming on blades or in any crevices.
The venture piloted the Sky Farm 50kW at Martha’s Vineyard Airport in Edgartown, Massachusetts. The turbine connects with the area’s electric-power grid. It annually produces about 45,000 kWh of energy.
EWP also designed a mobile unit for disaster relief applications, and a 30-kW system with the same turbine design. For more information, visit EWP’s website at: http://easternwindpower.us/about/skyfarm50kw
