V3 Power was set up in June 2006 by a group of graduates and associates from Nottingham university. This page shows what the cooperative has been up to since then and a bit of background information...
The name V3 comes from the equation for the power available in the wind:
Power = Coefficient of Performance x 0.5 x density of air x blade diameter 2 x wind velocity 3
P = C 0.5 ρ d2 v3
Early Days, EWB
The first turbine was built through the Nottingham branch of Engineers WIthout Borders, a student led organization focused on third world development through engineering. One of the team went on to do a placement in the Phillipines using Hugh Piggott turbines to pump potable water - check out the blog
Hill Holt Wood
After getting to grips with the design, we set up and run various weekend long courses at Hill Holt Wood. Many turbines have been built at Hill Holt Woods, each with a different character defined by the people who built it. Each turbine is given a name -
Sophie
Burma
Westbury School
A course run over 6 months with students from Westbury school, a school for disengaged youth in Bilborough, Nottingham.
Brighton Earthship
In November 2007 we ran a course at the Brighton Earthship
Workshops
We put on various 1 day taster session workshops at community events including: Sneinton Festival and Spring into Action
Festivals
Turbines have gone to festivals to help with powering the event. These have included: The Big Chill, Bestival, Sunrise, The Big Green Gathering
Pakistan
In October 2007 a course was run at COMSATS university in Abbottabad, Pakistan. During the course a 500W turbine was built, as were two types of solar water heaters. The Solar Water heaters ere more successful given the local resources. Since the course, the turbine has been installed on the university campus, as have the solar water heaters. Subsequent research projects have been set up at the university based on the renewable energy course.
Welsh Youth Forum
A one week course run in a rural workshop in North Wales. A beautiful setting to work in, resulting in a beautiful turbine called gwyntrix. The turbine is being used for educational events in Wales, before .etting up home soon in North Wales to charge batteries for local villagers. More info here
