The main aim for the wind machine is to start a production cycle of plants, which can be used in the daily life of Valldaura.

The wall is producing energy with windturbines. The energy is used for pumping water to the crops. The machine uses waste products from the house in the form of grey water and compost.

The structure is built out of hemp, which the plantation can grow.In this way the production cycle is a living cycle itself.

WE5 is made

DOWNLOAD MANUAL 
We5 manual 2013

PROTECTION FOR CROPS

A wall protects a plantation from the strong wind from the north, and allows the sun to reach the plants from the south. The small plants are placed near the structure, because they need more shelter from the wind.

WALL PRODUCE ENERGY
The wall produces energy through windturbines and feeds the plantation with water. The wall also collects rainwater into a tank, which is connected to the grey water from Valldaura.

DESIGNING SLOPE AND PALES
To protect, cover and increase the wind speed to the turbines, pales were added. The pales have two main aims; one is to direct the wind towards the turbine, and second is to accelerate the wind speed. The twisting design of the pales helps in achieving the objective and also creates a venturi effect. The pales are shaped as NACA foils, so they reduce the turbulence inside the slope

SPECIFICATIONS

VALLDAURA
The structure is a new wall merging into the environment of Valldaura. The house of Valldaura is supported by retaining walls made out of local bricks. When the road was made to Valldaura, natural stone was exposed. The new wall component is the juxtaposition between the stone wall and man made tile wall.

OTHER SITES
The wall can also be used in the city of Barcelona. It could  be used by the sea side for producing electricity for lighting and be used as railing at ramps.

The wall can be used to turn harsh areas into possible areas for plantation by  creating a micro climate. The example shown is from a windy dessert.

BUILDING PROTOTYPE
The prototype of We5 was built at IaaC in 2013 and transported to Valldaura. In the future the prototype should be built and assembled locally.

HEMPself is a wall structure, that produce energy for a production of hemp.

The main aim for the structure/machine is to start a production cycle of plants, which can be used in the daily life at Valdaura.
The machine use waste products from the house of Valdaura in form of grey water. The grey water is pumped from the house to a plantation with help from windturbines. The grey water is filtered and comes out as clean water. In the process the the filtration system (phytodepuration) provide water for the plantation.

The structure protects the hemp plantation from the strong wind from the north, and allow the sun to reach the plants from the south. The small plants are placed near the structure, because they need more shelter from the wind. When the small plants are strong enough, they will be placed further away the wall. In the end the plants will be harvested and will be used as components for structures, textiles etc..
The structure is built out of hemp, which the plantation grows. In that way the cycle produce itself.

The cycle of HEMPself is made.

#01 HEMPself prototype specs:
Weight: 7 kg
Production: 1.7 volts (top turbine) + 1.3 volts (lower turbine)
Windspeed at test: (with 6 m/s)

Next steps

1. Testing #01 HEMPself with different angles of the adjustablefoils
2. Measure the #01 HEMPself and analyze the outout (test it outside and with a fan)
3. Use ECOTECT to analyze #01 HEMPself
4. Find new suitable generators (the old burned down)
5. Research an alternative to resin – bioresin or materials from local bees?
6. Use gravity/capilarity to get the greywater from the house of Valdaura.
7. Investigate a way to pump the clean water back to the house of Valdaura
8. Investegate alternative ways for the use of the electricity from the windturbines.
9. Investegate how the slope can collect rain water.
10. How to design the backside of the HEMPself – solarsystem for small plants?
11. Investigate the scale of the machine

And we say welcome to our new  group member  - Ricardo