Bladeless Wind Turbines Offer Potential for Efficient, Renewable Energy Production

Wind energy is celebrated for its sustainability and effectiveness, but there are concerns about recycling wind blades and about the space required for wind turbines and wind farms, especially in urban areas. Researchers from the University of Glasgow’s James Watt School of Engineering used computer simulations to explore how Bladeless Wind Turbines (BWTs) could be built for maximum efficiency.

BWTs consist of a cylinder built of resin-reinforced carbon fiber or glass fiber that is anchored to the ground by a rod. Traditional wind turbines convert the kinetic energy of the moving blades into electricity. In comparison, BWTs generate power by vortex-induced vibration – a process where the cylinder oscillates when the wind hits it and the movement of the cylinder generates mechanical energy that is then transformed into electric energy by a generator.

The team at the University of Glasgow discovered an optimal design for BWTs where power generation is maximized against structural strength. After assessing a variety of structures, the engineers determined the ideal BWT consisted of an 80cm mast which is 65cm in diameter. To date, prototypes delivered a maximum of 100 watts of power and the simulation of the ideal BWT delivered a maximum of 460 watts of power. Once scaled up to utility grade systems, the BWTs could generate 1 kilowatt or more, making them a practical alternative for renewable energy systems.

Dr. Wrik Mallik, Lecturer in Aerospace Engineering at the university and researcher on the project, said, “What this study shows for the first time is that, counterintuitively, the structure with the highest efficiency for extracting energy is not in fact the structure which gives the highest power output. Instead, we have identified the ideal midpoint between the design variables to maximize the ability of BWTs to generate power while maintaining their structural strength.”
 
The James Watt School of Engineering’s Professor Sondipon Adhikari, another researcher on the project, added, “We hope that this research will help spur industry to develop new prototypes of BWT designs by clearly demonstrating the most efficient design. Removing some of the guesswork involved in refining prototypes could help bring BWTs closer to becoming a more useful part of the world’s toolbox for achieving net-zero through renewables.”

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