In a new study, engineers from the University of Glasgow explored the possibility of smaller-scale wind power generation. The engineers used sophisticated computer simulations of bladeless wind turbines (BWTs) to identify future generations of the technology for more efficiency.

Bladeless Wind Turbines

Bladeless wind turbines are still in the early stages of research and development. According to researchers, the findings could help the renewable energy industry take the BWTs from small-scale experiments to actual forms of power generation across national power grids.

BWTs generate power through a process called vortex-induced vibration instead of converting kinetic energy from the moving blades into electricity.

Bladeless wind turbines take a cylindrical shape, which sways in the wind. As the wind blows, BWTs create alternating swirls of air that rock the entire structure back and forth, called vortices. The press release states, “When the frequency of the rocking matches the structure’s natural tendency to vibrate, the motion is amplified significantly, and the increased motion is converted into electricity.”

Generating Energy

In the study published in the journal Renewable Energy, researchers used computer modelling techniques to simulate thousands of BWT design variations. The results gave insight into mast dimensions, power output, and structural safety in winds between 20 and 70 miles per hour.

“What this study shows for the first time is that, counterintuitively, the structure with the highest efficiency for extracting energy is not in fact the structure which gives the highest power output,” said Dr Wrik Mallik, one of the paper’s corresponding authors. “Instead, we have identified the ideal midpoint between the design variables to maximise the ability of BWTs to generate power while maintaining their structural strength.”

Researchers say they found an optimal design for BWTs, which creates a “sweet spot” with maximum power generation and structural strength. The team found that the design, an 80 cm mast with a 65cm diameter, could safely generate 460 watts of power. According to the researchers, this design outperforms any of today’s real-world prototypes, which have only been able to generate 100 watts of power.

“In the future, BWTs could play an invaluable role in generating wind power in urban environments, where conventional wind turbines are less useful,” said Mallik. “BWTs are quieter than wind turbines, take up less space, pose less of a threat to wildlife, and have fewer moving parts, so they should require less regular maintenance.”