Wind Turbines - Wind Energy: Renewable Energy and the Environment - page 88

The West German government funded the construction of a 200 m tall tower in Spain [5].
A 240 m diameter greenhouse at the bottom provided the hot air to drive the air turbine, rated
at 75 kW, which was located inside the tower. A private entrepreneur in California constructed
a Magnus type wind turbine [6], 17 m in diameter, with purported rated capacity of 110 kW
( Figure 5.18 ) . The unit was later moved to the wind test site of Southern California Edison,
which was located in San Gorgonio Pass. A small wind turbine has been built with spirals on
the cylinders ( Figure 5.19 ) . A built-in motor spins the cylinders, which in the wind makes the
rotor rotate due to the Magnus force on the cylinders. The unit is 11.5 m diameter and rated
power is 12 kW.

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FIGURE 5.17 Examples of innovative wind turbines.