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File this under crazy ideas that might work. Most of this article is on wind turbine blade design........... but the interesting part is in bold and underlined below.
Photo and article.
A whale of a tale
Humpback flipper may be the key to better wind turbines.
May 14, 2007 04]The implications are potentially enormous. Delayed stall on airplane wings can improve safety and make planes much more manoeuvrable and fuel-efficient. The same benefits can also be found on ship and submarine rudders, which explains the U.S. Navy's quiet involvement.[/b]
Dewar, a former broadcast journalist and co-producer of the 1980s nature series Lorne Greene's New Wilderness, is also a self-taught student of science with a fascination for linear and non-linear physics. He'd heard about Fish's research and, after a few chats over the phone, raised the idea of using the humpback design for wind turbines.
"I saw it as a natural application of this technology," recalls Fish.
One thing led to another and the duo formed WhalePower, with Fish taking on the role of president and Dewar handling business development and R&D from a headquarters in Toronto. Laurens Howle, Fish's research partner from Duke University, is an adviser and shareholder in the company who has contributed software for designing the new blades.
"We have an international patent going through everywhere," says Dewar. "It applies to all forms of turbines, compressors, pumps and fans."
WhalePower can retrofit blades on existing turbines or build new blades from scratch. Dewar says prototype tests to date have demonstrated "outstanding performance," most importantly during light winds, with the tubercle-lined blades capable of more than doubling performance at wind speeds of 8 metres per second.
"In fact, we're getting the kind of power (regular blades) produce at 8 metres per second at 5 metres per second," says Dewar, describing the results as "spooky" because of the dramatic improvement.
Fish says the better performance at low speeds is what makes the design stand out. "Since there are probably more days when you don't have gusty winds but instead have lower wind speeds, that means you can generate electricity on those lower energy days."
The reason is because the tubercles channel the wind as it hits the front or "leading" edge of the blade. The channels cause separate wind streams to accelerate across the surface of the blade in organized, rotating flows. These energy-packed vortexes seem to increase the lift force on the blade.
As well, the channels prevent airflow from moving along the span of the blade and past its tip, a troubling situation on smooth blades that can cause noise, instability and lead to a loss of energy. By keeping the airflow channelled, more of the wind is captured and noise is greatly reduced.
Dewar says the same aerodynamic principle applies to water flow through hydroelectric turbines – in other words, more electricity can be generated at lower water speeds, making it possible, particularly in a water-rich province like Ontario, to reconsider hydroelectric or pump-storage sites previously thought uneconomic for power generation.
"I'm honestly scared of making claims at this point," says Dewar. "The results are so good that we know everybody who knows anything about aerodynamics will think we're salting the goldmine." That's why third-party verification will be essential. The research, he says, has to be "bullet proof."
But even if WhalePower can prove beyond a doubt that its blade design is better, it doesn't necessarily ensure success. Wind-turbine manufacturers can't keep up with demand for current product, so there's little incentive to dramatically alter the design of their blades – at least not yet. There's also no incentive for banks to lend money to wind-farm projects taking a risk on a new blade design.
"It's like trying to break into the semiconductor business," says Kerry Adler, chief executive of Toronto-based wind developer SkyPower Corp.
"You're going to be hard-pressed to convince Dell Computer to put a new processing chip on their motherboards, particularly if it's not proven. In the wind industry, you'll have to have a thousand turbines in the ground before anybody gives (a technology) a second look."
WhalePower's hope of retrofitting existing turbine blades – an estimated $50 billion worth around the world – could also prove a tough sell. Adler says retrofitting a blade with tubercles would void the warranty. "Who's going to take that chance?"
Fish appreciates that WhalePower's approach may be considered radical, and he understands that many wind-turbine manufacturers will operate on the premise: If it isn't broken, don't fix it. But he says any business will change its course if the economic benefits are compelling enough.
"It takes a while to get any sort of new technology into the marketplace," says Fish, at the same time convinced that the study of biomimicry – the melding of biology and engineering – will help shape the future of energy production, transportation and medicine.
"We're starting to see more and more engineers grabbing on to this."
Photo and article.
A whale of a tale
Humpback flipper may be the key to better wind turbines.
May 14, 2007 04]The implications are potentially enormous. Delayed stall on airplane wings can improve safety and make planes much more manoeuvrable and fuel-efficient. The same benefits can also be found on ship and submarine rudders, which explains the U.S. Navy's quiet involvement.[/b]
Dewar, a former broadcast journalist and co-producer of the 1980s nature series Lorne Greene's New Wilderness, is also a self-taught student of science with a fascination for linear and non-linear physics. He'd heard about Fish's research and, after a few chats over the phone, raised the idea of using the humpback design for wind turbines.
"I saw it as a natural application of this technology," recalls Fish.
One thing led to another and the duo formed WhalePower, with Fish taking on the role of president and Dewar handling business development and R&D from a headquarters in Toronto. Laurens Howle, Fish's research partner from Duke University, is an adviser and shareholder in the company who has contributed software for designing the new blades.
"We have an international patent going through everywhere," says Dewar. "It applies to all forms of turbines, compressors, pumps and fans."
WhalePower can retrofit blades on existing turbines or build new blades from scratch. Dewar says prototype tests to date have demonstrated "outstanding performance," most importantly during light winds, with the tubercle-lined blades capable of more than doubling performance at wind speeds of 8 metres per second.
"In fact, we're getting the kind of power (regular blades) produce at 8 metres per second at 5 metres per second," says Dewar, describing the results as "spooky" because of the dramatic improvement.
Fish says the better performance at low speeds is what makes the design stand out. "Since there are probably more days when you don't have gusty winds but instead have lower wind speeds, that means you can generate electricity on those lower energy days."
The reason is because the tubercles channel the wind as it hits the front or "leading" edge of the blade. The channels cause separate wind streams to accelerate across the surface of the blade in organized, rotating flows. These energy-packed vortexes seem to increase the lift force on the blade.
As well, the channels prevent airflow from moving along the span of the blade and past its tip, a troubling situation on smooth blades that can cause noise, instability and lead to a loss of energy. By keeping the airflow channelled, more of the wind is captured and noise is greatly reduced.
Dewar says the same aerodynamic principle applies to water flow through hydroelectric turbines – in other words, more electricity can be generated at lower water speeds, making it possible, particularly in a water-rich province like Ontario, to reconsider hydroelectric or pump-storage sites previously thought uneconomic for power generation.
"I'm honestly scared of making claims at this point," says Dewar. "The results are so good that we know everybody who knows anything about aerodynamics will think we're salting the goldmine." That's why third-party verification will be essential. The research, he says, has to be "bullet proof."
But even if WhalePower can prove beyond a doubt that its blade design is better, it doesn't necessarily ensure success. Wind-turbine manufacturers can't keep up with demand for current product, so there's little incentive to dramatically alter the design of their blades – at least not yet. There's also no incentive for banks to lend money to wind-farm projects taking a risk on a new blade design.
"It's like trying to break into the semiconductor business," says Kerry Adler, chief executive of Toronto-based wind developer SkyPower Corp.
"You're going to be hard-pressed to convince Dell Computer to put a new processing chip on their motherboards, particularly if it's not proven. In the wind industry, you'll have to have a thousand turbines in the ground before anybody gives (a technology) a second look."
WhalePower's hope of retrofitting existing turbine blades – an estimated $50 billion worth around the world – could also prove a tough sell. Adler says retrofitting a blade with tubercles would void the warranty. "Who's going to take that chance?"
Fish appreciates that WhalePower's approach may be considered radical, and he understands that many wind-turbine manufacturers will operate on the premise: If it isn't broken, don't fix it. But he says any business will change its course if the economic benefits are compelling enough.
"It takes a while to get any sort of new technology into the marketplace," says Fish, at the same time convinced that the study of biomimicry – the melding of biology and engineering – will help shape the future of energy production, transportation and medicine.
"We're starting to see more and more engineers grabbing on to this."