VATIS UPDATE Article

Scientists at Paris-Sorbonne University, France, have found a way to make wind turbine blades 35% more efficient at producing energy by drawing inspiration from the flexible wings of insects. If commercialized, the advance could make this green technology a more viable alternative to fossil fuels in the coming years. “The optimal amount of power comes from intermediate rates of rotation,” said Vincent Cognet, at the Paris-Sorbonne University.

In order for them to produce power most efficiently, the wind must strike their blades at just the right “pitch angle” to apply just the right amount of torque to a generator. Insect wings don’t have this problem. Because they’re flexible, the wings of bees and dragonflies are able to direct the aerodynamic load in the direction of their flight, increasing the power. And because they naturally bend in the wind, they can minimize drag to avoid damage.

To see whether such flexibility would improve the efficiency of wind turbines, Cognet and his team built small-scale turbine prototypes with three different rotor styles. One was completely rigid, one was somewhat flexible, and one was very flexible. All three turbines had three rotors, but the flexible ones were made with a pliable material called polyethylene terephthalate, whereas the rigid version was made with a stiff synthetic resin.