The wind energy industry is still relatively young. Although many commercial-scale wind turbines are already in operation, researchers are still attempting to determine how to harvest wind energy most efficiently.
To that end, researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee are using some pretty incredible technology to create the most efficient wind turbine they can.
The researchers, Saif Al Hamad and Omar Shaker, are using a wind tunnel and a 3D printer to test various shapes and designs for turbines. Shaker uses the 3D printer to create test blades, and Al Hamad analyzes data produced by a horizontal axis wind turbine inside the tunnel.
"From there, you can scale up to that residential scale because this is very small," said Al Hamad, according to Spectrum News 1. "Before we scale it up, we make sure that the software is giving us reliable data based on the experimental data that we have."
"Even if you have a small-sized wind turbine that you cannot upsize due to some type of restrictions in the area, like noise levels, we try to harness as much power as possible so it becomes more usable and it would make sense investing in one," said Shaker.
This technology could not only help people keep energy costs down, but it would also help to move further away from dirty energy sources and harmful gases like methane.
The researchers chose to focus their efforts on wind energy because of its potential to be an endless source of clean, renewable energy — replacing heavily polluting forms of dirty energy such as gas, coal, and oil.
"It's so reliable as long as you have continuous wind or if you place it offshore," said Shaker. "It is the future."
"We are trying to reduce the combustion and CO emissions so that's why," said Ryo Amano, the director of UW-Milwaukee's Industrial Assessment Center. "Wind energy is one of the cleanest energies. That's why we have been promoting this one and it is important for students to be engaged in the activity of updated technologies."
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