Large Vertical Axis Wind Turbine Generator

Eole, a large 3.6 MW vertical axis wind turbine generator, was developed in the early 1980s as a joint venture between a public utility and the Canadian federal government, with the engineering done by a private firm. The machine is located near the St. Lawrence River, 700 km downstream from Montreal, about 120 m above sea level. Subsequent studies indicated that a dynamically soft rotor with a very soft guy wiring system would further reduce rotor weight and cost. The use of fiberglass pultruded blades is also considered as a potential improvement. Ongoing development at the Atlantic Wind Test Site on Prince Edward Island, Canada, and by a private firm in the USA are clearly going in that direction.