A local inventor wants to pay it forward for the wonderful life he's had right here in Prince George.
"I don't need to make money, I need to make a difference," David Buchanan, 74, said while showcasing his five-panel vertical axis wind turbine in the Prince George Citizen parking lot Wednesday morning.
That means Buchanan's idea is not protected by intellectual property laws such as copyright, trademark, or patent laws.
"The whole world needs a vertical wind turbine, it's as simple as that," Buchanan said. "We're all going to need more reliable electrical power. It makes no noise, has no vibration and will not kill birds, bats or bugs."
His vertical turbine involves a lift and drag combination that makes it a powerful tool to convert the wind's kinetic energy into electrical energy.
"It was my own personal frustration that prompted me to make it because vertical wind turbines have never been very popular," Buchanan said.
Up until now Buchanan said nobody wanted a vertical turbine because they stall.
"This one doesn't," he added.
The design Buchanan created to be most successful features a flat surface in front with a curved back for each panel.
"And the reason I added five panels is because wind sees the flat side as a wing so that creates lift and the curved side is the drag, so I get both lift and drag and that's why I believe it to be more powerful than anything before and that's what makes it unique," Buchanan said.
He credits his time with the air force for his critical thinking when it came to having a solution to the problem of turbine reliability.
"After about four years of mistakes, trying to do what everybody else did, I discovered that wasn't the way to go," Buchanan said. "Up until now everybody's been trying to catch the wind - wrong. All wrong. You want the wind to see a flat surface and that's why I made this. And that's the reason I want this to be public domain."
Buchanan made sure his creation could handle the extreme weather Canadians enjoy year round.
Buchanan successfully tested the durability of his turbine for strong winds while coasting down airport hill at about 65 miles per hour. He said that was a good start.
The turbine will soon find a home on a knoll near the airport for future stress testing and all past tests prove that so far it's working great.
Buchanan's current model puts out four to five kilowatts of power, which is enough to operate a small house or cottage. His next turbine will provide 12 kilowatts of power which will be suitable for most homes.
A retired chef who lives in an apartment while caring for his 96-year-old mother Connie, Buchanan is grateful for her help. Between the two of them they were able to finance the $11,000 project. Buchanan calls Connie his angel financier.
He also appreciates the help of his friends.
"I originally had a spot in Interior Warehousing, which was really nice because I had space and help when I needed it but since that's been sold and I had to move out I've been building it at several people's places."
