GE Ecomagination: Apollo Renewable System

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Tired of your Home Owners Association opposing your plans for a wind power system? In the future, new homes may come with wind turbines already built in, thanks to the patent-pending Apollo Renewable Energy System.

This new style of vertical-axis wind turbine uses a tube-shroud encasement for its disc-like wheel to spin through. (According to the inventor, Robert Voyles, this wheel is shaped somewhat like the rim of a bicycle tire turned on its side.)

Apollo turbine

image via Robert Voyles

Wind enters a funnel, which is then directed over a series of paddles attached along the outer edge of the wheel, causing it to spin, while either one or two exhaust pipes keeps air moving along out of the enclosure, back out into the atmosphere.

Voyles sees big advantages for the Apollo model over traditional wind turbines in terms of increased resilience in the face of destructive weather, reduced maintenance costs, and lack of danger to migratory birds. The Apollo Renewable Energy System is a contestant this year in the GE Ecomagination Challenge, so if you’re inclined to agree, feel free to vote your support.

Posted on March 1st, 2011

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Posted in Renewable Energy, Wind Power

  • http://www.hallmarkemporium.com Robert Voyles

    Hello, I didn’t even know about this until I googled my name, after hearing about the google re-coding shuffle that just took place. Evidently, it worked, because that’s how I found your entry for my new wind turbine. A nice way of finding out! I don’t know Susan DeFreitas, but I thank you very much for taking the time to do this for me…definately one of the first “lucky breaks” I’ve had in trying to bring my new device to the oil-tired masses. The next google entry for my name (Robert Voyles, 2nd page) is for some archaelogical/history work I did last year…also worth looking at if you’re open-minded about ever-changing history.