VATIS UPDATE Article

Scientists at Sorbonne University, France, and École Nationale Supérieure des Arts et Métiers-ParisTech, France, have developed flexible wind turbine blades much like insect wings. The researchers constructed prototypes with regular hard turbine blades, slightly flexible turbine blades, and very flexible turbine blades. The last design turned out to be too floppy, but the slightly flexible blades outperformed the rigid ones, offering as much as 35 percent more power.

They also continued to work in lower wind conditions and weren’t as susceptible to damage in high winds. But the scientists’ work isn’t yet done, they now need to search for the right material that’s “flexible, but not too flexible,” according to lead author Vincent Cognet. “The fluid mechanics and the physics make absolute sense. There’s no reason why we cannot make morphing blades that will adapt to wind conditions,” said Asfaw Beyene, at San Diego State University, the United States.