Noise-free and lacking any moving parts, this unusual wind turbine design developed by Mecanoo Architects and Delft University of Technology can now be seen in front of an on-campus building dedicated to engineering, mathematics and computer science. The electrostatic wind energy converter (EWICON) turbine could address some concerns that currently keep turbines from being installed in many areas.
Rather than using blades that turn wind resistance into energy, the EWICON turbine is a steel frame structure that uses particle movement to generate energy, with electrically charged water droplets pushed across a bipolar field by wind to create a current.
The lack of moving parts doesn’t just calm the fears of opponents concerned about the effects on nearby wildlife, or on the quality of life of adjacent residents. It also makes this turbine design much easier and cheaper to maintain. Learn more about how it works at Design Boom.

