Tag: Renewables

Solving Urban Wind Energy Challenges with Validated VAWT Blade Design Client: Alpha 311 Sector: Renewable Energy / Wind Technology Challenge Alpha 311 tasked Navier with aerodynamic development of a new vertical-axis wind turbine (VAWT) for their emerging product line. The goal was to maximise power output while ensuring the design remained compact, lightweight, and easy to retrofit onto existing infrastructure like lighting columns or bridges in urban environments. Key objectives included: Strong performance at low and turbulence-rich wind speeds Minimised blade size and material cost, without sacrificing output Suitable for roadside, rail-edge, and rooftop installations Alpha 311 needed a turbine that could fit almost anywhere and generate power where it’s needed most. Solution Navier led a blank-page aerodynamic development of custom blade profiles, focusing on a hybrid drag- and lift-based aerofoil concept. The process included: Parametric 2D and 3D blade modelling using CFD Iterative optimisation targeting torque output across expected wind scenarios Comparative simulations against conventional Savonius and Darrieus VAWT forms The result was a compact, high-performance blade design that achieved the power goals with a...