Windstalk allows for wind energy but without the noise of the turbines

We are all looking for ways to try and find energy from different avenues. Solar energy is quite popular but other sources of energy such as wind and water energy are also popular. Wind energy is common when you drive out of canyons and see very large turbines. These turbines are wonderful for collecting energy but you do have a lot of residents that complain about the noise. While it can often be a double-edged sword when it comes to collecting wind energy, there are some new advancements that look promising. One of the latest advancements is Windstalk. What is Windstalk and how does it gather energy? Keep reading on to learn more.

Windstalk was created to gather energy from the wind but without needing to spin. It literally looks like a big field of tree stalks or corn stalks that all gather energy. The unique thing about Windstalk is that it is designed not only to collect energy but to be a tourist site as well. The images of Windstalk are impressive and it's something that is definitely worth seeing.

So where can you see Windstalk energy? It's created for a tourist attraction at Abu Dhabi's Masdar City. There will be just over 1,200 carbon fiber reinforced resin poles that are about 180 feet tall. They have concrete bases to hold them in place to the ground and they each have a 1 inch wide base that shrinks up to 2 inches when it reaches to the top. Having them be thin allows them to "flow" with the wind and it makes it easier to catch even the slightest amount of wind.

Each windstalk will have multiple electrodes in it that are connected to cables. These cables are connected to the different types of electrodes in order to gather the energy correctly. Basically what you will see is these very large stalks waving in the wind as if you were walking into a tall field of grass and you see it all wave and shift with the wind. When the poles shift and wave with the wind, they will compress the piezoelectric discs found inside and this generates energy, which is sent to the electrodes and gathered for power storage and generation.

To know that the poles are gathering energy, they all have an LED lamp at the top. As they sway the LED lamps are on, when they are stationary, the lamps will be darkened. It will become brighter or darker based on the amount of wind that is occurring. This will allow visitors to take a walk at night and to have it be lit up by the wind's energy. However if there isn't any wind, it's probably not the best time to go for a stroll as it will be dark.

The concept is definitely unique and it is getting a lot of attention already. Each pole gathers the energy and they all have their own individual generators. The generators will have a torque that moves as fluid is in them, creating kinetic energy and converting it into electrical energy, which can be used to power an entire city depending upon how many windstalks are built and how large the city is.

Of course wind needs to be present for windstalk to work. In desert plains where it may remain still often, windstalk may not be a wise concept. For mountains and areas where there is a lot of wind, this concept is something to consider. Cities that are dealing with a lot of residential complaints or find that it is challenging to meet the electrical demands of their customers can benefit greatly from Windstalk.