What it does
A smart vertical-axis wind turbine that enables effective use of wind energy potential through the synergy of adaptive and airfoil blades - solving the challenge of clean energy generation in cities, supporting sustainable development and the net-zero target.
Your inspiration
Living in an urban environment, I noticed that wind energy remains underutilized in cities due to low and turbulent wind conditions, as well as strict limitations on traditional turbines. I wanted to find a way to make wind energy more accessible in these challenging settings. The idea came from observing weathervanes and how they align with the wind. This inspired me to develop a vertical-axis wind turbine with adaptive blades that reduce drag when moving against the wind, significantly improving performance. My goal was to create an effective solution for urban conditions and to make my personal contribution to environmental protection.
How it works
The design is a vertical-axis wind turbine (VAWT) equipped with adaptive blades, each of which rotates around its own vertical axis. When the blades move against the wind, they automatically turn like weathervanes to minimize air resistance (drag). When moving with the wind, they rotate in such a way as to increase resistance and capture more energy. This self-regulating mechanism requires no external control and allows the turbine to operate efficiently even in low or highly variable wind conditions. Unlike lift-type VAWTs, it does not need external force to restart after a full stop. The smart vertical-axis design makes it compact and safe for urban environments, and it performs well regardless of wind direction. To operate over a wider range of wind speeds, aerodynamic blades are added to the final design. The result is an intelligent, self-starting, and efficient system capable of generating clean energy in cities where standard turbines are impractical.
Design process
How can the counterproductive force acting on the blades moving against the wind be eliminated? Imagine tiny people opening flaps on those blades to let the air pass through, then closing them when the blades move with the wind to increase drag. But this function can be performed by the wind itself—if the blades are designed like weathervanes and equipped with angle limiters. In the first prototype, flat blades were slightly wider than the rotor radius, so the central shaft acted as a rotation limiter. However, wide blades caused large shifts in the center of mass during rotation. So a second prototype was built, replacing each wide blade with three narrower ones. The rotor frame now served as a rotation limiter, since the blade height was made greater than the vertical size of the frame. A rotor made of four blade frames lacked rigidity, so these frames were replaced with two solid discs that hold the blades in between. These support discs also improved wind capture. One problem remained: at high wind speeds, the adaptive blades did not turn to the optimal angle quickly enough, reducing efficiency. To solve this, aerodynamic blades were added for high-speed wind. The interplay between adaptive and aerodynamic blades, arranged in a specific way, further enhanced wind capture.
How it is different
Vertical-axis wind turbines (VAWTs) have low efficiency. Drag-type VAWTs suffer from a counterproductive force acting on the blades moving against the wind, which slows rotation. Lift-type VAWTs, on the other hand, have a symmetric design that makes self-starting after a stop difficult. Our design is unique in replacing conventional drag-type blades with adaptive blades that eliminate this braking force by turning like weathervanes when moving against the wind. These smart blades rotate automatically without any control mechanisms. Their flat shape also reduces drag and makes manufacturing simpler. The final prototype is a hybrid design combining adaptive drag-type blades with aerodynamic lift-type blades. This eliminates the braking issue found in drag-type VAWTs and solves the self-start problem of lift-type VAWTs. Compared to horizontal-axis wind turbines (HAWT), our adaptive VAWT is compact, quiet, and better suited for installation near residential areas.
Future plans
We plan to further refine the design, improve efficiency at varying wind speeds, and optimize the rotor system for scalable production and long-term durability. The next steps include aerodynamic modeling, wind tunnel testing, field trials in real urban conditions, and prototyping with advanced lightweight and recyclable materials. We aim to commercialize the product at an affordable price point for residential and industrial applications. Long-term, we envision integrating the turbine into smart city infrastructure and microgrids, contributing to global sustainability efforts and accelerating the transition to net-zero emissions.
Awards
The Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkiye (TÜBİTAK) 1512 BIGG Techno-Initiative Capital Support Award. 1st Degree Award in Renewable Energy Category at World Cities Congress, Istanbul. 1st Degree Award in Energy Efficiency Category at Arab Renewable Energy Commission AREC, Jordan.
Share this page on