Whale Power: More Efficienct Fan Blades Mimic Humpback Fins
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 03. 4.08
Tannis Toohey/Toronto Star
Using "a million years of field tests" to their advantage, Toronto-based WhalePower Corp. is using the fins of humpback whales to help design a better fan (and, hopefully, wind turbine). After US scientists discovered that the tubercles -- the little bumps on humpback fins -- result in 32 percent less drag and an 8 percent rise in lift when compared to a smooth fin. That means a fan blade that "makes the fan quieter, more efficient, and better at pushing down the air," according Monica Bowden, chief executive officer of Envira-North, the company that has licensed the WhalePower design.
She estimates fans incorporating WhalePower's design use 20 percent less energy and are better at moving the air around, and now that fans are incorporating the design, WhalePower will continue to work to apply the idea to wind turbines; it's a slower process because of the certification and testing required with the clean power generators. Still, Stephen Dewar, WhalePower's co-founder, is confident it'll come to fruition: "When it comes down to it, we've got the best blades ever made." ::The Star via ::Core77
See also: TreeHugger Picks: Biomimicry in Product Design, Video: Janine Benyus with 12 Sustainable Design Concepts Using Biomimicry, and Hang on Tight: Biomimicry Explained in Lay Terms
Wouldn't these same principles apply to aircraft wings as well then? A 32 percent reduction in drag for aircraft could translate into significant decreases in fuel consumption.
This is already in use on some types of aircraft. Vortex Generators and winglets are current examples of how these small improvements can increase lift, and decrease drag. (both with the added benefit of increased efficiency and better fuel economy.)
PAX Scientific has been all over this for about 10 years.
This is awesome. See, this is why we need to save the whales. Inspiration, Innovation, and because we can.
My guess is that these trailing edge shapes work as small vortex generators, which help reduce flow separation and drag.
This type of aerodynamic assist with vortex generators is also becoming more popular for use in cars and trucks. They are particularly useful near the blunt trailing edges of boxy vehicles, such minivans, SUVs, and large trucks.
Vortekz (http://www.vortekz.com/) and Airtab (http://www.airtab.com/) offer vortex generator kits for installation on cars and trucks.
If WhalePower proves out in the lab and field it shouldn't take long for the wind turbine manufacturers to adopt this technology. Small wind turbines, hydro turbines and virtually any blade-based turbine that works on the principal of fluid dynamics should benefit as well. It looks very promising.
This would be interesting -- except for the fact that this technology has been around for fan and aircraft wings for many years, and probably is not Whale Power's to license. The US patent for this is owned by NASA (which should be somewhat responsive to another poster's comments about using this design to improve aircraft wing efficiencies) and the EU and Canadian patents are also owned by others.