Highly Efficient Wind Generator

Lightweight, Compact Ring-type Wind Power Generator

The samurai.jp Project

The samurai.jp Project kicks off by profiling the completed prototype of a small-scale ring-shaped wind turbine built by Peace Frontier, a new company set to launch in October. We are seeking support via this Indiegogo campaign to enable conversion of the die-cast rotors used in the prototype into plastic, as a step toward commercializing the turbine. Through this installment of the project, in particular, we hope to use the development of this new product to help create employment and develop related businesses in the Tohoku region, which has suffered great hardship since the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami.

Interview with Developer Tsuneo Fukui

Developer Greetings
My name is Tokio Fukui, and I’m a representative from Peace Frontier. For some time, I was concerned about the drawbacks of conventional large propeller generators, so I considered the development of a new type of wind power generator that is environmentally friendly and can be installed with relative ease even in urban areas.
The prototype machines currently use die-cast rotors, but the current request for assistance is to develop plastic rotors. To make the rotors lighter and increase their power output, the wind power generators will use plastic rotors when they are released as commercial products. This will make their transport simpler and enable many people to use easy to operate wind power generators in various environments. We hope you will support our efforts to spread wind power generators that fully utilize the gifts of nature.

Wind, an inexhaustible source of energy that comes with no worries about depletion
There is significant potential for the effective use of wind power, but there are also many problems. With horizontal shaft (propeller) power generation, as the surface area that receives wind power is enlarged, concerns arise from the perspective of strength, and when the rotational speed is increased, accidents with birds become a problem. On the other hand, if the speed is decreased, the problem of low frequency noise also occurs. With vertical shaft (gyromill) power generation, there are problems with safety and countermeasures to deal with strong winds, and compared to the scale, the power generation efficiency is low. In addition, power is not generated when the wind speed is slow, and the rated wind speed of small and medium size wind power generators is around 12m/second.
Features of Ring Type Wind Turbine Generators
Ring type wind turbines are a type of wind power generator that narrows the path through which the wind passes to thereby increase the wind speed and improve power generation efficiency. Basically, this technology takes technology that is used in areas such as pumped-storage dams and applies it to wind. The most impressive feature is that power can be generated from a weak wind. In fact, ample power can be generated with a wind speed of 3-5m/second in urban areas. In addition, the equipment outputs almost no sound. Lastly, the structure is such that the blades are not exposed on the outside, so the equipment poses no danger to birds or humans.

Ring Wind Turbine Development Concept
* With a weak wind force, the ring wind turbine can generate 5-10 times as much power compared to a wind turbine with the same bore diameter.
* The generator has no shafts or exterior parts, and it is lightweight.
* The dimensions allow installation in a 2-square-meter area, and therefore all the components can fit in an elevator.
* The vanes do not stick out, so it is safe for wildlife and humans.
* The battery is housed in a stand, so the equipment can function as an uninterruptable power supply as well.
* Rated output of 3kW (wind speed of 8m/second)

* The goal is to generate 10MW/h yearly (when 1.2kW/h is generated with an average wind speed of 6m/second).

Betz’s Law: The amount of power that can be generated from the wind is proportional to the square of the rotor diameter and to the third power of the wind speed.

* Wind speed can be accelerated by reducing the cross-sectional area of the wind turbine so that it is smaller than the wind inlet port, and as a result, power can be generated even with a weak wind.
* Structural strength is increased by adopting a ring format for the wind turbine, and the entire unit is made more lightweight including the drive area.
* Springs are attached to the blades of the wind turbine to improve wind gust countermeasures and wind power recovery efficiency.
* Exhaust promoting blades are installed on the exhaust port side to improve exhaust efficiency.
* Rectifying blades are attached in the wind collecting port to draw in the wind.
* The rectifying blades serve as a guard to keep out wildlife.
* The newest life extending device is attached to the battery so that battery does not need to be replaced.