An innovative and patent-pending plasma actuator for turbine blades has the potential to increase their rotational speed in wind from near zero to 12-mph and possibly more. It does so by creating a stream-wise longitudinal vortex sheet that reduces aerodynamic drag. “The actuators produce a body force due to collisions between electrically charged particles and…
Blade addition could boost wind turbine power up to 20%
Researchers at Rutgers University have invented and tested a patent-pending wind turbine blade deflector that creates a significant increase in torque. “The deflector, not a vortex generator, is based upon a powerful force that other airfoil designs don’t address,” says Corey Park, CEO of Dynamic Blade Technologies, a company formed to commercialize this technology and other…