Owl Wings Inspire Silent Turbine Blades

Jun-26-15 A new coating inspired by owl wings could greatly reduce the noise generated by wind turbine blades without affecting performance.

To develop the prototype coating, the research team first closely examined owl feathers to determine how the bird flies so silently. They discovered the owl’s feathers are covered in a downy coating, and that a flexible comb of evenly spaced bristles lines the wing’s front edge, while an elastic, porous fringe lines its trailing edge. According to the research team, this structure is unique, and serves to scatter the sound of the wind passing over the wing—effectively silencing it.

In order to apply the structure to turbines, the team 3D-printed a plastic prototype and attached it to a turbine blade, where it reduced noise by 10 dB without affecting performance. The team is now testing the coating for applications on different kinds of blades, though its use on airplane wings is still some time away.

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[QZ.COM]
[CAM.AC.UK]

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