Z4 ENERGY SYSTEMS, LLC 25 Dizzy Horse Road Buford, Wyoming 82052 U.S.A. (307)766-5044
Z4 solves problems for rural homes, farms, ranches and small business by developing useful, smart residential scale renewable energy products.
Product: Rotor Blade for Residential-Scale Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine
Problems with residential-scale wind turbines:
- Low energy production
- High up-front costs
- High cost of maintenance
- Payback periods can be 17 to 30 years
The Solution is Z4's rotor blade design for horizontal-axis turbines
- Blades bend and twist in response to changing wind speed
- Twist to "feather" to "fly" through turbulence
- Maintains optimum generator speed
- Harvests more energy
- Controls overspeed
- Use on upwind and downwind machines
- Thermoplastic composite materials are durable, lightweight and 100% recyclable
Status
1.5 kW prototype blades have been fabricated and field tested for 6 months.
Z4 is seeking a strategic partner to collaborate on optimizing a residential-scale turbine with our custom blades for increased energy production and improved turbine maintenance and lifespan.
Benefits
- 35% higher energy harvest
- 20% reduction in blade loading
- Cost of Energy performance in Class 3 regions equivalent to Class 5
- Passive overspeed control
- Improved reliability
Acknowledgments
This research is funded by the National Science Foundation under SBIR Phase II Grant No. IIP-0924695. "An Advanced Aeroelastic Thermoplastic Composite Blade for Residential Scale Wind Turbines."
Kevin Luke, Principal Investigator
