Giant Multi-Rotor Wind Turbines

Hermann Honnef wanted to make these huge multi-rotor, multi-megawatt wind turbines back in the 1930s. At some point in current development of ever larger diameter wind turbines, either the blades are going to have to be made into sections to be assembled on site or there will be a push to stay with the maximum blade size you can take over the roadways and you'll see more than one turbine on a tower.

Giant Wind Turbines - Everyday Science and Mechanics - June 1932

"The surveys which have been made in Germany show that, with little variation, wind velocities of 22 miles an hour are quite constant at the height illustrated. To utilize this most effectively, instead of small wheels, it is proposed to erect on each wind-turbine tower three power wheels, each 530 feet in diameter."

"The method of generating the power is unique. Instead of gearing the great wheels to a generator, as in previous construction, each wheel is itself made the rotor of a great electrical generator. The rings are double; the armature and field coils are built into the outer and inner rings, respectively; and the output is fed into a distributing system, which has the necessary transformers and converters."

(Click on the images to go to the originating web pages for more contextual information. Warning: You may need to read or translate German in a couple of instances.)

( Giant multi-rotor wind turbine images ahead with even more obscure historical tidbits... )

Giant Multi-Rotor Wind Turbines

Hermann Honnef wanted to make these huge multi-rotor, multi-megawatt wind turbines back in the 1930s. At some point in current development of ever larger diameter wind turbines, either the blades are going to have to be made into sections to be assembled on site or there will be a push to stay with the maximum blade size you can take over the roadways and you'll see more than one turbine on a tower.

Giant Wind Turbines - Everyday Science and Mechanics - June 1932

"The surveys which have been made in Germany show that, with little variation, wind velocities of 22 miles an hour are quite constant at the height illustrated. To utilize this most effectively, instead of small wheels, it is proposed to erect on each wind-turbine tower three power wheels, each 530 feet in diameter."

"The method of generating the power is unique. Instead of gearing the great wheels to a generator, as in previous construction, each wheel is itself made the rotor of a great electrical generator. The rings are double; the armature and field coils are built into the outer and inner rings, respectively; and the output is fed into a distributing system, which has the necessary transformers and converters."

(Click on the images to go to the originating web pages for more contextual information. Warning: You may need to read or translate German in a couple of instances.)

( Giant multi-rotor wind turbine images ahead with even more obscure historical tidbits... )