A shrouded wind turbine generating high output power with wind-lens technology

For the application of an effective energy resource in the future, the limitation of fossil fuels is clear and the security of alternative energy sources is an important subject. Furthermore, due to concerns for environmental issues, i.e., global warming, etc., the development and application of renewable and clean new energy are strongly expected. Among others, wind energy technologies have developed rapidly and are about to play a big role in a new energy field. However, in comparison with the overall demand for energy, the scale of wind power usage is still small; especially, the level of development in Japan is extremely small. As for the reasons, various causes are conceivable. For example, the limited local area suitable for wind power plants, the complex terrain compared to that in European or North American countries and the turbulent nature of the local wind are pointed out. Therefore, the introduction of a new wind power system that produces higher power output even in areas where lower wind speeds and complex wind patterns are expected is strongly desired.