Description
Current wind powered turbine technology is confined to a rigid blade design that is the primary component of wind turbines utilized to extract wind energy and convert it to mechanical or electrical power. A rigid wind turbine blade limits the operating range of high efficiencies as a result of poorly adapting to varying wind conditions. Wind turbines rarely operate at the optimal design point where maximum efficiencies may only approach 35%, and suffer rapid decreases in efficiency with any deviation from this ideal point. Biomimicry has successfully produced solutions to many inefficient designs through applying the innovation nature has to offer; Velcro and the shape of bullet trains are two compelling examples. Certain aquatic vertebrates are capable of achieving propulsive efficiencies above 90%, by utilizing particular dynamic and structural characteristics that promote efficient swimming. Thunniform swimmers, such as tuna fish and dolphins, utilize the most efficient lift-based propulsion method that allows adaptation to varying flow conditions. Structural characteristics such as streamlined bodies, scales, tubercles, and sharkskin riblets also promote higher locomotion efficiencies in aquatic vertebrates primarily by functioning as drag reduction mechanisms. Results of this research illustrated that the cross-section of a NACA 4412 modern wind turbine blade and a thunniform swimmer profile are near perfectly correlated when both are operated at parameters that yield optimal efficiency. This similarity suggested that adapting the morphing capabilities of thunniform swimmers may increase wind turbine blade efficiency. Adapting other structural characteristics of efficient aquatic vertebrates in conjunction with this morphing ability may potentially provide additional efficiency increases and can later be verified with a computational fluid dynamics analysis.
