The very first urban wind turbine designed by artificial intelligence has officially been unveiled, bringing with it a new age of affordable, clean energy generation.
England-based AI specialists EvoPhase and precision metal fabricators Kwik Fab Ltd. have unveiled the world's first urban wind turbine designed by AI. The Birmingham Blade was designed especially to match the wind speeds of the Birmingham, England, area.
While traditional wind turbines are designed for wind speeds of only about 33 feet per second, the Birmingham Blade was adjusted for the lower average wind speeds typical of urban areas like Birmingham. It can spin at around 12 feet per second while still producing the same amount of energy. Kwik Fab was able to produce prototypes of the Birmingham Blade using curved blades that spin around a central point
"We needed a turbine that could capture Birmingham's relatively low wind speeds while managing turbulence caused by surrounding buildings," explained Leonard Nicusan, chief technology officer of EvoPhase, in an official press release.
According to Nicusan, using AI allowed them to test and refine over 2,000 designs for the Birmingham Blade and "explore design possibilities beyond the scope of traditional human experimentation," significantly accelerating the normally extensive process, saving time and resources.
This also resolves the natural issue that comes with the construction of wind turbines in urban areas. Urban wind can often become turbulent and varied because of the presence of high-rise buildings, roads, and other human-made structures that can impede or influence the flow of wind currents.
The use of AI to run hundreds of simulations of the ideal model for the Birmingham Blade allowed EvoPhase and Kwik Fab to circumvent this issue, paving the way for future innovation in wind projects to produce clean, renewable energy in urban areas.
"Our evolutionary simulations have confirmed the Birmingham Blade is up to seven times more efficient than existing designs in Birmingham's wind speeds and urban environment," Nicusan said.
The final version of the Birmingham Blade is expected to be available for use in late 2025.
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