Design and Analysis of Whale Flipper Inspired Windmill Blade

ENGR 7011- Graduate Seminar- Concordia University

Software used: Solidworks for modeling, design, and simulation, ANSYS CFD for Pressure and Velocity Analysis

Whales, despite their size and weight, are incredibly efficient, acrobatic, and quick. It's because of tubercles, which are irregular bumps on the leading edge of flippers that increase lift while decreasing drag. So, can replicating this whale flipper profile on a wind turbine blade make it more efficient? To put this to the test, I created a 3D model #solidworks of a whale-flipper-inspired wind turbine blade, analyzed #ansysfluent and its efficiency, and compared it to a conventional blade. #biomimicry #windturbine #renewable