The Possibility of Embracing Typhoons for Ultimate Wind Power

Wind power generation has higher power generation capability with stronger winds. When thinking about when the wind is the strongest.

The forecast for the number of typhoons this year was slightly lower than average. However, on August 12, Typhoon No. 5 directly hit the Tohoku region. In Iwate Prefecture, the total rainfall exceeded 400 mm, more than twice the average August rainfall. On August 16, Typhoon No. 7 approached the Kanto region, causing the Shinkansen between Nagoya and Tokyo to be suspended for the entire day, and many flights were canceled.

Typhoons cause enormous damage in various areas. Currently, research is being conducted to generate electricity using the energy from these typhoons.

“Generating power using typhoon winds is an idea that a child might come up with. However, no one tried it because we don’t understand typhoons well.”

Associate Professor Taiga Mitsuyuki, who serves as the lab head at the Typhoon Power Generation Development Lab at the Typhoon Science and Technology Research Center.

The Typhoon Science and Technology Research Center is an organization established in 2021 at the Yokohama National University Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, aiming to reduce typhoon disaster risks and threats, and to utilize typhoon energy. Here, research is conducted from multiple angles in labs such as the Typhoon Observation Research Lab and Typhoon Prediction Research Lab.

“There is wind power generation among renewable energy sources that utilize wind. The stronger the wind, the higher the power generation capability. When thinking about when the wind is the strongest, it is during a typhoon. That’s why we considered typhoon power generation. We are developing it towards carbon neutrality by 2050.”

Currently, in Japan, wind turbines are on land, and offshore wind power generation, which involves installing turbines on the sea where the wind is stronger, is being promoted.

“But wind turbines don’t move. I thought it would be best if they could move to where the wind is stronger, so I designed the model in the photo,” says the creator.

One type has sails that catch the wind to move forward. The other type has a propeller inside a cylindrical structure that catches the wind to move forward. Both types generate electricity by rotating a screw as they move.

For a structure with a total length of 200 to 250 meters, it is estimated that if it follows 20 typhoons over five days each year, it could generate 3.3 billion kWh of electricity per unit per year. This is equivalent to the annual electricity consumption of approximately 77,000 households.