He doesn't get funding directly, but most of the base designs
that everything has originated off of (even piggott's) is a result, or has
been
helped by government funding.
Have you seen his design? It's basic electric generator theory stuff,
nothing exotic at all. The blade design tables have been around for
almost a century. I believe that sliprings could fall into "common
techniques", as can the use of a tower. It's a generator, turned
by blades, with a spring-loaded tail, on top of a tower. What specific
aspects of his design are you suggesting are derived from anything
specific to alternate energy funding by the US governement?
You better believe that he keeps track of all the design
and test data he can get his hands on
Even the wind tunnel test data he gets from nasa
at no charge, the same data I or you can get if we ask for it.
Actually, if you were familiar with his work, you'd see that he's
done quite a bit of the trial-and-error method. Worked for Edison...
and a DC permanent magnet generator is hardly something exotic.
Same as the test data that is provided on sandia's web site
for free, that cost millions of tax payer dollars to get.
Wind generators have been tested in nasa and JPL wind tunnels,
at highly subsidized prices, or even for free, since the first
large scale wind programs have been in effect.
Yes, that may be true. But you are making a basic logical flaw; just
because some of (A) are (B), does not mean that all of (A) are (B).
and most likely a long time before that.
All the wind generators that have come since has been
based off of the lessons learned from that testing.
Even piggott's.
Cite, please?
The lessons learned is common knowledge today, but
they were learned with tax payer dollars.
Is everything done by the US government? I'm not sure if that's an
ignorant statement, or an arrogant one. You seem to be ignoring and/or
dismissing any research which didn't get paid for by Uncle Sam. Don't
get me wrong - one of the biggest benefits of NASA and other US government
programs is the information they share with the rest of us, from what
they have learned. But, not all research in the world comes from them.
Even today, NASA and it's contractors is highly
active in the wind power testing and design.
They are currently working on new blade designs and live
operating testing of windflow across the wings of
a generator in operation to find out what can be improved
or what needs to be changed.
Yes, that's very nice, but again it's a subset of all wind turbines that
are using this technology and testing, not all of them.
Sandia labs is working on new cell designs to allow
for easier automated production, with will allow
rapid a rapid drop in production cost.
They have already helped develop a
continuous process sheet crystal pulling system.
And what sandia(and NASA) has learned through testing is used
in the design of every solar cell in production today.
I don't do PV, so I can't address your statement with any direct
knowledge.
Even thin film panels have major government funding in their design.
OK.
Concentrated light/ high pressure steam power generation is also
very heavily funded.
I can't honestly think of one RE product that has gained nothing from
government research.
Which government? Your statement seems to be moderating itself as
it goes on; good step.
There's a guy a few miles from me, building windmills. He's using
a blade that his dad designed decades ago. It's a bad blade design;
runs on drag and the twist is the wrong way for the taper. But, it
turns in the wind, and he gets some power from it. It's obvious
from even a cursory look that he has not used any kind of research
done by the US Government in his design, and yet he gets power from
wind, and is satisfied with the output (about 1/3 of what it should
be, but it's output).
The stuff they may set out to do may fail, but what is learned from that
is used in the design for everything else to come.
The product may only be a basic design,
but the government research is what helped defined what the basic design is.
The basic design predates government involvement. Wind power has been
around for longer than the US Government has - yes?
That is all I can say, you may think that some things have
nothing to do with the government, but I just don't see it that way.
And, do you see this as a good thing, or a bad thing? Your basic premise
is flawed, but I will agree that they are currently involved and that
the information is being made available freely. I see this as a good
thing, do you? However, to say that all alternative energy solutions
are using government funding, as you originally did, is a massive
oversimplification of the realities.
Dave Hinz
