MAR 04

When I say "whale fin-based" here, I don't mean that they're made out of whales. Though...who cares about whales anyway...right?

It turns out that the little bumps on the trailing edge of a humpback whale's fins are actually useful. Now, this shouldn't really surprise us, because whales have been working to make themselves more efficient for millions of years. But still, we've finally figured it out for ourselves.

Using these little "tubercles," a new firm in Toronto has created fan blades that have 32% less drag and are, overall, 20% more efficient at moving air. The new design could lead to similar gains in wind turbines, though the testing and certification process for turbine efficiency takes some time.

Co-founder Stephen Dewar says, "When it comes down to it, we've got the best blades ever made." They're already in discussion with the biggest fan maker in India about introducing their power-saving blades and they've talked with ten separate wind turbine manufacturers about doing field tests.

Sometimes we just have to open our eyes and ask nature to give us a hand. It's nice to see people listening.

TreeHugger via The Star

Comments (7)

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written by Mr Man, March 05, 2008

I love hearing stories about how nature shows us the way, all too often we forget that nature has been developing for millions of years.

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Boeing is doing it too
written by brian, March 05, 2008

Boeing has used something similar on the backside of the new 787's engine pods to reduce noise.

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written by RhapsodyInGlue, March 05, 2008

Actually, I believe the bumps go on the leading edge, not the trailing edge.

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written by RhapsodyInGlue, March 05, 2008

After seeing the fan blade that is the first product using this technology, I realize that it is a straight blade. I wonder if the curved shape of large turbine blades gives some of the same effect as the bumps. Perhaps the 20% efficiency gain will only come for straight blades. Wonder if they have simulations or wind tunnel work for curved shapes similar to large turbines?

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written by Matt, March 05, 2008

I heard on the Living Green Podcast (episode 27) that one of the leaders of this project has the last name "Fish."

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written by Adam, March 08, 2008

My guess is that these trailing edge shapes work as small vortex generators, which help reduce flow separation and drag.

This type of aerodynamic assist with vortext generators is also becoming more popular for use in cars and trucks. They are particularly useful near the trailing edges of blunt bodies, such as minivans, SUVs, and large trucks.

Vortekz (http://www.vortekz.com/) and Airtab http://www.airtab.com/ offer vortex generator kits for installation on cars and trucks.

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written by Cole, August 17, 2008

The bumps are on the LEADING edge, not the TRAILING edge.

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