Episode 18 | Witty Wind | Barber Wind Turbines
Sometimes new designs have to come from outside the mainstream. As far as wind power goes, you can't get much further away than an amusement park ride designer.
Jerry Barber, the founder and CEO of Barber Wind, has led an incredible life. His family ran a traveling carnival. He graduated from Ohio State and became the youngest high school principal in Buckeye state history.
Jerry spent his career designing amusement park rides. At his home in Greenville, SC, I saw dozens of plaques commemorating patents Jerry had secured for his rides. You know the Tower of Terror ride? That's Jerry.
After his retirement, a chance encounter with the descendant of the Ferris Wheel's founder inspired him to develop a wind turbine design based on the iconic ride. Instead of locating the gearbox and turbine at the hub of the windmill, the Barber Turbine's generator is located at the base of the windmill. And just like a Ferris Wheel, the Barber Turbine uses four car tires to transfer energy from the windmill to the generator.
Jerry says this design solves several issues inherit with conventional wind turbine designs:
- The lightweight design can be packed in a standard 40' cargo container
- Setup does not require a crane
- The design does not requires a heavy, expensive gearbox
During our conversation I asked Jerry about the relationship between the capability of equipment being both mobile and robust. We also discussed the biggest opportunities for this design. With many faraway places depending on expensive, inefficient diesel fuel for power, the Barber Turbin could be a game changer.
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