A novel bladeless wind energy system composed of recyclable materials has been engineered to generate power without noise or vibration issues. Aeromine Technologies reports that its scalable, motionless wind energy unit can produce 50% more energy than rooftop solar at the same cost.

The bladeless rooftop wind device. Source: Aeromine Technologies

Designed for installation on the edge of a large rooftop such as an apartment building or warehouse, the units are installed so as to face the predominant wind direction. The combined wind acceleration provided by the building and the vertical airfoils creates a vacuum behind the propeller. Air is then sucked past the propeller and power is generated. Unlike turbines that require rotating rotor blades and many moving parts, making them prone to maintenance issues, the motionless and durable Aeromine solution generates more energy in less space.

The 5 kW units weigh just over 1,000 lb each and can withstand winds of 120 mph and include a state-of-the-art rotor/stator system with a permanent magnet generator. A typical installation would connect 10 units or more, adding 50 kW of capacity to a roof. At a roof height of 16 ft and 4.5 m/second average wind speed, this setup would deliver about 20,000 kWh per year. The same 10-unit system on a 50-ft-high roof with 8 m/second average wind speed would produce over 150,000 kWh per year.