WindAge TDWGs

WindAge, LLC tested TDWG Prototype I at a Central Florida dragstrip. The rotor for Prototype I used vanes of extruded fiberglass. The first test vehicle, a rented box truck, could not develop enough speed to make any usable power, and there was still a sizeable gap between the truck’s top edge and the rotor. The second test vehicle, a full-size tractor trailer used for hauling livestock, induced a 50% increase in output on its final run. Prototype II was developed on the basis of this increase.

A 4' x 12' rotor assembly was constructed using hollow fiberglass vanes, each in the shape of an airplane wing. These vanes were joined by 4 phenolic resin ½" thick disks. Two pancake generators formed the ends of this assembly, and the stainless steel mounting frame was bolted to both of these generators.