Description
Atop a pillar
painted to suggest a sunset sits a three blade Savonius turbine shaped in a
triangle and studded with mirror tiles. When the wind blows in daytime the
turbine spins and the mirrored tiles will reflect the sunlight creating a
sparkling effect that can be seen for miles. As the turbine spins it powers a
small bicycle generator that recharges a battery pack. When the sun sets, the
built-in light sensor will turn on three LED lights mounted on horizontal tubes
that are aimed at the turbine reflecting the light off the mirrored tiles even
at night so as to create an effect of twinkling stars.
Starry Night
provides a whimsical lighthearted sparkling effect day and night and will also
be an educational tool for learning about wind generated power and the
aerodynamics of a wind turbine.
Location
Starry Night makes an
ideal landmark being visible both day and night.
Philosophy
Starry Night employs a type of Vertical Axis Wind Turbine known as a
Savonius Turbine.
Savonius
Turbines are soundless, are mechanically simple and require no maintenance, and
they do not kill birds or people. For these reasons they are safe to use in
population centers, public spaces, parks, wildlife parks and on buildings.
Savonius wind
turbines are a type of vertical-axis wind turbine (VAWT), used for converting
the power of the wind into torque on a rotating shaft. They were invented by the
Finnish engineer Sigurd J Savonius in 1922. Savonius turbines are one of the
simplest turbines. Aerodynamically, they are drag-type devices, consisting of
two or three scoops.
Because
of the curvature, the scoops experience less drag when moving against the wind
than when moving with the wind. The differential drag causes the Savonius
turbine to spin.
