MagLev Turbines

<h1>MagLev Turbines</h1>

<h2>This page is currently under construction! Last updated on 23 January, 2008.</h2>


<p>Definition: maglev = magnetic + levitation</p>

<p>Maglev turbines enjoy a serious advantage over traditional turbines.  Because the rotating mechanism is held in place with magnets, rather than some physical restraint, the amount of friction between moving parts and static parts is all but eliminated.</p>

<p>Applications:<br>
Wind Power is the primary application for MagLev Turbines.
<ul><li>1. no friction means that less power is lost to the turbine and can be passed on to the consumer
<li>2. no friction means that it takes less wind to move the turbines
<li>3. no friction means that maintenance needs and costs are greatly reduced.</ul></p>


<p>Numbers: from http://www.inhabitat.com/2007/11/26/super-powered-magnetic-wind-turbine-maglev/</p>
<p>They say that 1 MagLev Turbine is comparable to 1,000 standard windmills.  Where it takes about 1,000 of them to power 500 thousand homes, a single maglev turbine can power as many as 750 thousand homes.  More than that, the footprint is greatly reduced, since one maglev turbine needs about 100 acres of open land, a field with 1,000 standard windmills requires more than 64,000 acres of land.</p>