Cleantech systems developer Leviathan Energy announced today that it has successfully completed testing its wind energy device that increases the power that can be generated by wind turbines and extends the lifespan of wind turbine blades and gearbox.
Leviathan’s Wind Energizer is a passive land-based system that directs wind flow to the most critical areas of the wind turbine’s blades. That increases wind velocity to the blades, resulting in a jump of power output by about 20-40% when the turbine is spinning, and by well over 100% in the range of marginal or poor wind speed.
Additionally, by balancing the wind velocity load and shearing forces placed on the turbine, the Wind Energizer reduces the stress placed on the turbine, extending both the blade and gearbox lifespan by an expected 2-3 years. Typically, wind farm operators overhaul or replace the turbine’s gearbox once every 2-8 years at a cost of $500,000.
Leviathan Energy CEO Dr. Daniel Farb said, “With an affordable price and an ROI of usually 1-3 years when all benefits including carbon credits are included, we expect that our technology will soon be a fixture on wind farms around the world.
Leviathan expects to begin the full roll out of the product later this year. The target market for the $300-500,000 Wind Energizer will be wind turbine manufactures as well as wind farm operators.
Beit Shemesh-based Leviathan Energy was founded by Dr. Farb in 2006. By utilizing the physics of fluid dynamics and flow, Leviathan has created wind-, hydro-, and wave-powered products that it claims fundamentally change the economics of investing in alternative energy technologies in these markets.
Leviathan already sells its small wind turbine and hydroelectric turbine.
Leviathan's COO is Gadi Hareli, its chief business development manager is Joe Van Zwaren, and its chief engineer is Avner Farkash.
Published by Globes [online], Israel business news - www.globes-online.com - on April 2, 2009
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