Valuable assessments from Terry and Ed. I keep thinking about the inevitable bird nests combined with bird poop gumming up the mechanics of the system.
Also keep in mind that a good chunk of trees tend to renew their solar collector hardware each year. "Replacement parts" is not an issue for them! The only trees that don't renew their hardware seem to be conifers, fir trees. Such leaves aren't specifically designed to flutter (bend or twist) in the wind. Despite those limitations, they DO make soothing Zen-like sounds when wind passes through them. >From ED: > 6. The only interesting part of the idea involves > having solar collectors constructed in an upward > direction rather than spread out over a larger area. > This design would save space. However, I see no > advantage to make the collector look like a tree. I agree. I'm inclined to conclude that many of these researchers might be unnecessarily distracted in what seems to be misguided efforts to make "power towers" mimic the look of natural trees. As Mr. Storms points out, efforts to mimic Mother Nature, particularly in both the aesthetic and aural senses, will probably fail for a number of stated reasons. Perhaps they should focus on deliberately NOT making them look like trees so that birds won't mistake them for safe havens to nest and poop in. Regarding "Power Trees" keep in mind: (1) Research needs to be performed in ways to optimize the mass production of cheap flexible sheets coated with printed photo collector compound (i.e.: Companies like Nanosolar comes to mind). It's conceivable that one of the optimal sizes that individual sheets should be manufactured at may turn out to be - a leaf. See (2) below. (2) Research needs to be performed in ways to optimize how best to attach printed photo collector sheet/leaves, to artificial stems & branches allowing them to oscillate freely in the wind no matter what direction the wind blows from. At the base of each oscillating leaf stem are piezoelectric collectors collecting electricity from the constant bending and twisting. ...as long as the goal is not necessarily to make the assemblage mimic the look and feel of natural trees. Following up on Mr. Storms assessments, the point I'm trying to make is that combining both mechanisms under one roof could possibly turn out to advantageous IF combined appropriately. I would think computer simulations could make a good stab at assessing optimal ways to combine (1) solar energy from the sun and (2) the mysterious chaotic dynamics of wind air flow turbulence. For all we know optimal "designs" may turn out to look more like arrays of flat 2D squares the size of bed sheets more-or-less vertically stacked and placed at strategic distances from each other. Also, they would not look like attractive havens where birds might be inclined to nest and perform biological activity within. Regards Steven Vincent Johnson www.OrionWorks.com www.zazzle.com/orionworks
