Traditional wind turbines have long been under attack for the noise pollution, nausea and insomnia they cause. In addition, they have left bird lovers outraged for causing the death of many birds. But using the newly patented system Zero-Blade Technology as the basis for their Tunisian start up Saphon Energy, co-founders Anis Aouini and Hassine Labaïed, might have succeeded in creating one of the least intrusive, environmentally friendly wind turbines for a relatively inexpensive price tag.
Their product is a bladeless and rotation-less wind turbine, dubbed the Saphonian. The Saphonian functions by trapping wind in a back and forth motion rather than a rotational one, until it is converted into mechanical energy using pistons. The pistons then produce hydraulic pressure, which can be instantly converted to electricity via a hydraulic motor and a generator or stored in a hydraulic accumulator.
Unlike traditional wind turbines which lose a lot of energy due to the lack of means to store energy, the Saphonian stores any excess electricity produced in a hydraulic device that can preserve energy and discharge it upon demand. Putting that to action defies and most certainly beats Betz’s law which states that "There is no wind turbine which is capable of harnessing more than 59.3 % percent of wind’s kinetic energy."
Furthermore, the Saphonian is half the price of traditional wind turbines as it uses less expensive components, as well as not having blades, hub or a gearbox.
To ensure that everything is going according to plan, the bladeless wind turbine is accompanied with Maraya, a solution that allows for collecting and monitoring data.
Learn more about the Saphonian from this video:
Having sparked a lot of media interest, the start up co-founders, Aouini and Labaïed announced during the Global Entrepreneurship Summit which took place from November 19 th to 21 st in Marrakesh, that the Saphonian has entered its industrialization phase. Throughout this phase, the team will receive technological help, as well as general support from Microsoft 4Afrika, a MS arm that aims at supporting innovations in Africa. The partnership deal between the two parties was also signed during the summit.
Despite the huge potential this project has, the co-founders said they wanted to focus first on Africa where 75% of the population has limited access to energy.
“The Saphonian has the potential to contribute to transforming the African economic landscape and triggering deep social progress across the continent,” says Anis Aouini, creator and founder of Saphon Energy. “By improving connectivity and electricity availability, the technology will support entrepreneurship and improve employability.”
If you’re excited about laying your hands on one of these green solution beauties, you’ll have to wait a bit as the company estimates everything will be finalized within two or three years.
Worth the wait, don’t you think?