One bright-eyed startup company, SheerWind, a Minnesota based company, believes its INVELOX system might just transform the wind industry. SheerWind asserts their ducted turbine can perform in wind speeds as low as 2 MPH, thereby reducing the cost of wind power to less than 3 cents per KWh.
SheerWind also claims INVELOX has a minimal impact on the environment, birds, and animals, making it the most environmentally friendly wind generator on the market.
The INVELOX system uses a special funnel system that allows it to capture the wind and accelerate it in a tapering tunnel before passing it through a ground-mounted generator.
INVELOX is also purported to use multiple towers to channel wind into a single generator with blades up to 84% smaller than traditional turbines. This is markedly different than other turbine designs which use a generator on top of a mast to capture wind energy.
SheerWind is currently testing many demo units near the company facility in Chaska, Minnesota. Once data collection and evaluation is complete, the plan to release demonstration units within a year.
http://youtu.be/elBntB5_TGM
