mecanoo architects + TU delft unveil a windmill without moving blades
first image
'EWICON prototype' by mecanoo architects and delft university of technology, the netherlands
all images courtesy of mecanoo architects / TU delft
a scale model of the bladeless windmill developed by mecanoo architects and delft university of technology is now viewable in front of the
on-campus faculty building dedicated to engineering, mathematics and computer science. the electrostatic wind energy converter (EWICON)
is a steel frame structure that uses particle movement to generate energy. electrically charged water droplets are moved across a bipolar field
by wind which creates a current that is transmittable to a grid. as such, the form is freed of mechanically moving parts and instead becomes a
sleek steel frame supporting a shear of horizontal tubes. more pragmatically, the lack of moving parts reduces maintenance costs, wear and tear
and shadow casting as well as virtually eliminating noise pollution. the technology was developed by TU delft's departments of chemical and
aerospace engineering in conjunction with wageningen university and is slated to be the next phase of wind energy technology. while traditional
turbines convert wind energy into mechanical energy that is then turned into electrical energy, the EWICON uses electro hydrodynamic atomisation
wherein a high electric field is used to generate and charge particles simultaneously. the EWICON's filleted rectangular form was integrated in
mecanoo's proposal for stadstimmerhuis 010 in rotterdam, which suggests that future applications of the technology are particularly relevant to
urban architecture.
video diagramatically explains the EWICON
image © TU delft
prototype view
image © mecanoo architects
possible applications in different sites
image © TU delft
droplet movement diagram
image © TU delft
droplet movement at low wind speed
image © TU delft
droplet movement at high wind speed
image © TU delft
test of the charged droplets
image © TU delft
mecanoo architects had integrated the EWICON in building proposals, seen at the top of urban high-rises
image © mecanoo architects
'EWICON prototype' by mecanoo architects and delft university of technology, the netherlands
all images courtesy of mecanoo architects / TU delft
a scale model of the bladeless windmill developed by mecanoo architects and delft university of technology is now viewable in front of the
on-campus faculty building dedicated to engineering, mathematics and computer science. the electrostatic wind energy converter (EWICON)
is a steel frame structure that uses particle movement to generate energy. electrically charged water droplets are moved across a bipolar field
by wind which creates a current that is transmittable to a grid. as such, the form is freed of mechanically moving parts and instead becomes a
sleek steel frame supporting a shear of horizontal tubes. more pragmatically, the lack of moving parts reduces maintenance costs, wear and tear
and shadow casting as well as virtually eliminating noise pollution. the technology was developed by TU delft's departments of chemical and
aerospace engineering in conjunction with wageningen university and is slated to be the next phase of wind energy technology. while traditional
turbines convert wind energy into mechanical energy that is then turned into electrical energy, the EWICON uses electro hydrodynamic atomisation
wherein a high electric field is used to generate and charge particles simultaneously. the EWICON's filleted rectangular form was integrated in
mecanoo's proposal for stadstimmerhuis 010 in rotterdam, which suggests that future applications of the technology are particularly relevant to
urban architecture.
video diagramatically explains the EWICON
image © TU delft
prototype view
image © mecanoo architects
possible applications in different sites
image © TU delft
droplet movement diagram
image © TU delft
droplet movement at low wind speed
image © TU delft
droplet movement at high wind speed
image © TU delft
test of the charged droplets
image © TU delft
mecanoo architects had integrated the EWICON in building proposals, seen at the top of urban high-rises
image © mecanoo architects
