Australia’s First Wind Trees Bring Clean Energy to Urban Spaces

blagazelia

ENG: Australia’s first “Wind Trees” are bringing renewable energy into an urban setting in a striking new way. Installed along Connolly Drive in Clarkson, Western Australia, the two nine-metre-high structures are designed to resemble stylized metal trees. Instead of ordinary leaves, each tree carries 36 small wind turbines known as Aeroleaves, which generate electricity as they spin in the breeze. The technology is designed to work with wind coming from different directions and can begin producing energy even at relatively low wind speeds.

Read More

Tailored Vibrations Could Help Reduce Turbulence in Aircraft

blagazelia

ENG: Researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder are developing a new approach to aerodynamic flow control that uses engineered microscopic vibrations beneath an aircraft’s surface. Led by Mahmoud I. Hussein, the work focuses on phononic subsurfaces (PSubs), specially designed materials that interact passively with airflow without changing the external shape of a wing or fuselage. By controlling tiny internal vibrations known as phonons, these subsurfaces could delay the transition from laminar to turbulent flow, potentially reducing aerodynamic drag and improving fuel efficiency in commercial and high-speed aircraft.

Credit: University of Colorado Boulder
Read More