A Salt Lake City-based startup, Halcium, is working on the PowerPod, a small wind turbine designed specifically for use in cities. According to its makers, it is the most powerful and safest wind turbine of all time.
The portable PowerPod is much cheaper than solar panels and can work much more efficiently in areas with fewer than 300 sunny days per year. It is a 1kW wind turbine that generates potentially three times more power than a normal turbine. The extra power comes from an advanced blade system in the pod that increases wind speed by 40%. Plus, it has no external moving parts, making it safe for children, pets, and wildlife (especially birds).
When developing a portable wind turbine, Halcium wanted to develop a device that would fit seamlessly into the urban space and not be criticized, as is often the case with traditional wind turbines in rural areas. Halcium's portable machine is similar in shape and size to a trash can. It can be placed on your roof, fence, or on a public building, RV, sailboat, or any secure surface to generate electricity.
The airflow is collected from the outside of the pod and concentrated on an advanced circular blade that is entirely contained within the stationary shell. Due to its shape, the outer shell can absorb the wind from any direction, change direction or even several directions at the same time. When normal turbines are in such conditions, they can break and throw blades at high speeds.
As the wind speed increases with the design of the device itself, the PowerPod no longer needs to be attached to tall poles, which are expensive to assemble and take up a lot of space when guy ropes are required.
The PowerPod can be used on its own and can be connected to a power system like solar panels, requiring the same type of equipment. If you already have a solar system, the PowerPod can be seamlessly integrated into an existing system to provide an additional, varied power source. The PowerPod is also a great addition to an off-grid, energy-independent system to turn away from the dependence on sunny days.
The system can be used in both public places and private households and can ultimately become a convenient and quick addition to building systems so that they can generate electricity and are not dependent on the electricity grid.
The company says production is still in the very early stages and is currently looking for financial support. Halcium's technology could revolutionize the way we generate energy in the future.