Sphere Shape

I was thinking more of a full geodesic sphere, with a large shaft running through the middle. Sorry if I said dome. The whole sphere would be lots stronger than a dome overall I think. But those are good thoughts and probably true nevertheless. I was mainly thinking that a very large structure, built light enough to spin easily in the wind, would be possible. I could be wrong, but wouldn't something large enough catch air currents and turn even on a seemingly calm day? I've been wondering if there's some shape or container you could make, that would amplify the circular motion of the air currents inside. Like a device that lets air come in from any side, but directs it to form a 'tornado' in the center. Kinda like that fresnel lens - taking in diffuse light and focusing it to a point. Can we 'focus' the wind likewise?

Generators can be made pretty light, I think. The regular wind can turn them, but focusing the power of the wind to a small area could spin a generator very fast. And you would only need a large stand-still box with a small protected generator inside - no big moving blades or sails on the outside. A smaller generator spinning very fast would probably provide more power than a large inefficient structure spinning slowly or not at all. Our eyes focus light, and our ears focus sound, so why not wind? Of course I have absolutely no idea how to do it yet.

Offered by Joe.

Yes there is, a man named Viktor Schauberger invented one. You described exactly what it does. There is a lot of stuff about him and his ideas on the net. I don't have any addresses on hand; just try any of the search engines.

Offered by Jeremiah.

Are you perhaps thinking about those spherical vent covers that rotate while venting heat out of your attic? (I think that's how they work.) The current wind generator technology works best in light winds (10 to 15 mph) and they recommend that you shut them down and lock the blades in winds greater than 25 mph.

Offered by Roger.