The VBine5 V2 is a vertical turbine without a central drive shaft.
The blades are fastened to the generator housing, and the generator turns at a relatively slow 70 to 100 r.p.m., which Barry Ireland of VBine in Moosomin, Sask., says reduces wear and stress on the tower and generator components.
“They are very sturdy and are meant to last 15 to 20 years with no maintenance,” he said.
The vertical unit is a slightly more than a metre across and four metres high and weighs 359 kilograms.
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The five kW generator can be mounted on shops or other large buildings, but Ireland said they perform best on a tower.
“It doesn’t have to be a tall tower, as the units are very efficient in the wind. It starts making power at three metres per second (about 10 km/h),” he said.
“And we make them in Saskatchewan, one of the harshest environments for a wind turbine. They have to stand up, and they do,” he said.
The turbine self limits its speed in windier conditions.
“It spins at the same speed between 50 and 90 mph (80 to 140 km/h). The design means it makes power most of the time on the Prairies,” he said.
“The (Canadian Standards Association) made us put in a (power) dump switch, but we don’t need it; it can’t spin that fast.”
The Vbine5 arrives as a complete unit, with inverter and grid tie, for about $45,000.
