Get as Much Energy from Wind Turbines as Possible

Posted on September 29, 2009 - Filed Under Enviroment

Wind energy is a vastly growing industry and is becoming ever more popular worldwide. To help advance the capacity of the wind turbine scientists are looking at creating a morphing blade. This blade will rapidly change the aerodynamics to best suit the prevailing wind conditions. Through observation, scientists studying the dynamics of fish in an aquarium noticed that fish have superior efficiencies than our simple man-made devices. The major difference between the motion of man-made devices and natural motion is the lack of geometric adaptability with the various conditions and flows.

The fish, in swimming, morph to fit with the flow conditions. Man-made devices will typically remain rigid despite the varying flow conditions. The wind can be vary harsh on the wind turbine blades and if the wind gets to strong, the turbines will turn off, or the blades will break trying to fight the wind. A morphing blade will instead use the wind to its advantage rather than fight the wind. It will adapt, just like the fish, its shape to get greater performance. The morphing blade will significantly reduce unwanted stresses in the blade and increase their efficiency. Potentially prolonging the life-cycle of the blade.

Typically, wind rotor blades are made from combining carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic and glass and during the manufacturing, the resin will be heated then cooled in a controlled environment so that the bonding with the fibers are set and form an extremely ridged structure. But, with the morphing blade, composites are created that can snap between two distinct rigid shapes, for example, when the blades are given an electrical signal, it might flex one way instead of the another way, illustrating more or less its surface to the wind. Pretty much like the new helicopter rotor blades and similar to the urethane rubber that is very flexible and will bend and twist to reach the optimal angles to get as much energy from the wind as possible.

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