more efficient wind turbine

westend wrote:
I'm sorry but more than half of that is a total crock. These "new" ideas about small wind generation continually surface.

It has been known for a long time that the amount of power harvested from wind is directly proportional to the swept area of the blades. Yes, funneling the air increases the flow speed but is not significant as reference to the size of the blades.

The part about less harmful to birds and less noise is pure hogwash. I have a 7' propset and you can't hear the blades standing next to the mast. It is all about how the air interacts or spills off the edge of the blade. I have stiff aluminum blades that are formed similar to an aircraft prop but with more fairing to the tip. This allows the air to spill off the edges with less turbulence, hence, less noise than a plastic blade that oscillates or a wood prop that is not faired as well.
The only bird I've killed is the buzzard disguised as a utility company.:B

I tend to agree with most of these points. Sweep area will define the limit of maximum power. The "Tunnel" that the air must pass through will limit the power output, and also limit the energy you can collect.

I would be more interested in vertical axis generators, with blades that are up and down, and rotate on the tower axis, and would have less side thrust while operating. One of their advantages is the vertical axis does not need to be mounted nearly as high in the air, above the other nearby obstructions. And they will start producing power in the 10 MPH range, with full power around 25 MPH.

Fred.