Genius has no age: perhaps a 92-year-old engineer in Germany is about to change the world of renewable energies. Horst Bendix, former head of research at the Kirov of Leipzig, has invented a new wind turbine that generates three times the energy compared to traditional ones.
How does the “triple” wind energy work?
Current wind turbines have problems related to the forces of flexion, which increase with altitude. Bendix decided to build taller ones, mounted on a tripod structure (one vertical column and two support ones), to capture stronger and more constant winds.
In practice, the engineer intends to make wind energy more productive thanks to high-altitude winds. Nothing new, right? Well, it depends on how you interpret the concept.
Exceptional results
- wind farms traditional ones produce around 10 GWh per year. With Bendix's innovation, a single wind farm could produce between 20 and 30 GWh per year, or two to three times more.
Already tested near Leipzig, the 140 meter high Bendix wind farms generate 20 GWh of electricity per year, equivalent to the consumption of 6.000 three-person households.
And the bending forces? The engineer thought about this too
The secret of the Bendix plant is the tripod structure: furthermore, the generator is no longer positioned at the top, but several generators are distributed along the tower. Thanks to a belt system, wind energy is transmitted to the generators from top to bottom, eliminating the weight usually concentrated at the top.
The next steps
The German engineer's wind farm it is already patented and ready for large-scale production. It could bring a crucial breakthrough in meeting renewable energy production targets in Germany and Europe. If you want more information, you can find them here.
Despite the record numbers, in fact (Germany is the largest producer of wind energy in Europe, with 113,85 TWh in 2021, equal to 29,6% of the total production of the European Union) these numbers are still insufficient.
Engineer, grandfather and example
To achieve the objectives set and complete the energy transition, more needs to be done. And this 92-year-old engineer-grandfather motivates us, demonstrating that ingenuity and a passion for progress can lead to surprising results.
