West Virginia-based Advanced Technology Applications and its agent G.T. Technology of Michigan have signed an agreement with Fisher Energy to sell the turbine throughout the United States.

"We are very excited about this agreement with Fisher Energy," said lead researcher and WVU professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering James E. Smith in a news release. "It paves the way for our work in the development of this new technology to make a real difference in our nation's energy independence and security."

Wind turbines commonly have a horizontal axis, with blades spinning in a vertical plane.

The WVU turbine operates on a vertical axis, a design distinction that Smith said is more efficient and operates better at low-to-moderate wind conditions

WVU's is not the first vertical-axis wind turbine, but it is the first to make use of a principle called "circulation control," said James Cavicchioli of G.T. Technology and Fisher Energy.

"There's a slot in the back of the blade," Cavicchioli explained. "We blow air out through the slot. It's a very low volume of air and very low pressure."

That stream of air costs a small amount of energy, but allows for a net energy gain, he said.

The wind turbine technology can be scaled to any level.

Fisher Energy plans to first manufacture turbines at the residential-sized "small wind" scale, typically under 100 kilowatts, Cavicchioli said, as well as somewhat larger "community wind" turbines.

Over time, it will manufacture utility-scale turbines of 1.5 megawatts.

Cavicchioli hopes to be in production in early 2011.

Fisher Energy was founded by Michael R. Fisher and has roots in long-time automotive industry supplier Fisher Body Co.

The WVU-Fisher Energy agreement fits into a larger effort by the Michigan Economic Development Corp. to promote that state's manufacturing expertise and idled automotive production capacity for wind energy component production.