Darrieus, Georges Jeans Mary
Georges Jeans Mary Darrieus (1888-1979), a French engineer who designed the first modern vertical axis wind turbine (patented 1931). Of the several rotors Darrieus designed, the most important is a rotor made of slender, curved, airfoil-section blades attached at the top and bottom of a rotating vertical tube. Compared to the more common horizontal axis turbine, the Darrieus turbine design has several attractive features. First, the blade operates at very high tension, so a relatively light, inexpensive blade is sufficient. Second, by locating the power train, generator, and controls near ground level, they are easier to construct and maintain. Howerver, a disadvantage of the Darrieus turbine is that it is not typically self-starting, requiring an induction motor connected to the local power network to initiate operation.
Further Reading
Wind Turbines: Horizontal or Vertical Axis Machines? (Danish Wind Industry Association)
What Are Vertical-Axis Wind Turbines (VAWTs)? (American Wind Energy Association)
Wind Energy Technologies (U. S. Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy)
Wind Energy Technologies (U. S. Department of Energy, Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy)
