Elevating wind power with spiral welding technology
Spotted: To reach net zero by 2050, we need to drastically reduce our reliance on fossil fuels, and that means ramping up green energy generation. According to the International Energy Agency (IEA), that involves adding 390 gigawatts of wind power generation capacity every year by 2030. But, rising upfront construction costs, particularly for offshore farms, could compromise that goal, with several offshore projects in the US needing to be cancelled or renegotiated due to issues around financing. Hoping to make wind farm construction more affordable is Colorado-based Keystone Tower Systems.
The company has devised a revolutionary manufacturing process that streamlines and cuts the cost of making turbine columns. In the company’s spiral welding process, which is a well-established technique used to create pipelines, large pieces of steel are fed into a machine, so they curve around into a spiral shape to form a turbine base. The process can be done quickly and continuously by one machine that completes the joining, rolling, fit-up, welding, and severing of a tower section.
With this method, it’s easy to vary the diameters and wall thicknesses, which means that wind towers can be built twice as tall as existing structures, enabling turbines with bigger blades that can also reach greater wind speeds further up in the sky. This means greater wind energy generation.
Keystone’s manufacturing facilities have a relatively small footprint, meaning they can be placed near proposed wind farms for on-site production. Developers therefore don’t need to worry about making long, expensive, and energy-intensive journeys to transport the massive pre-manufactured components required for larger-scale turbines. Instead, steel can be shipped flat, making for much easier transportation. This is particularly helpful for offshore farms, as a temporary manufacturing facility can be easily deployed on the coast, for the creation of tall, structurally optimised towers.
Wind is playing a key role in the green transition, and innovators are working to make it more efficient than ever. Springwise has also spotted small turbines for wind microgrids as well as this novel design that cuts the cost of wind power.
Written By: Archie Cox and Matilda Cox
Midjourney is perhaps the most well-known AI visualization tool in the architectural industry. It is currently available via the Discord server, where users collaborate with the Discord bot to generate conceptual imagery. Midjourney has three basic operational commands: the “/imagine” command uses text prompts to produce a set of renderings, the “/blend” command which enables architects to blend two images together and finally, the “/shorten” command which suggest alternative, shorter, prompts to achieve better results. It also offers additional text abbreviations such as image ratio control and negative prompting – i.e., elements that are excluded from the composition.
Stable Diffusion is also a text-to-image and image-to-image model released in 2022, based primarily on diffusion techniques, which — in the case of computer generated images — include tasks such as denoising, inpainting and super resolution. Apart from generating visual renderings through text prompts, Stable Diffusion is an amazing tool for image modification. More specifically, features such as inpainting involves selecting specific portions of an existing image (layer masks) for more precise rendering editing. Adding or removing noise and depth or enhancing specific image details through a combination of text and image prompts, allow architects to create sharper quality renderings.
Veras is a powerful AI-visualization app. The software can be used as a plug-in for popular architecture programs such as SketchUp, Revit and Rhinoceros, as well as a standalone web-based rendering tool. It is ideal for effortlessly manipulating BIM generated visuals, modifying their ambiance, style and lighting and even their geometry. Features such as the Geometry Override Slider, the Render Selection and the Render Same Seed allow architects to fine-tune their designs, while exploring multiple concept iterations in real-time rendering and without any 3d-modeling constraints.
Similar to Veras, ArkoAI is also a plug-in for popular architecture software. Being, however, a cloud-based platform, its powerful rendering capabilities are ideal for quick and flexible material iterations on existing 3d models. Using simple text as well as added parameters to control the amount of effect the prompts will have on the model, architects can transform their clay renderings and shaded views into complete design proposals.
Nothing screams the quintessential “romantic getaway” quite like the Manshausen Island Resort in Norway. Sited in the Steigen Archipelago, this island resort is sandwiched by the Lofoten mountain range and the Barents Sea. Each cabin is partially cantilevered above the sea and has been carefully positioned to create individual panoramic views that equally ensure privacy. The landscape and the changing Northern lights make for an emotional and dramatic experience, underpinned by romance and beauty.
This project is a complete revitalization of the 17th-century Palazzo Valperga Galleani, realized into a vibrant city landmark and residence. By way of art, lighting and plants, this residential building is both cutting-edge and dramatic. The original garden was completely reconstructed, incorporating decorative elements in two horizontal and vertical planes which creates a romantic gesture towards the city. From the inside flats to the exterior communal courtyard, the warm tones transform this complex into an atmospheric wonder which heightens the site’s beauty and overall sensation of romance.
