A new wind turbine design developed remotely
Five students from electrical, mechanical and aeronautical engineering, have developed a new design for a radical vertical axis wind turbine, despite lockdown and two of them working remotely from across the world.
The group developed a series of scaled prototypes and finally were able to test them in our wind tunnel as well as outside in real-world conditions. The prototypes were built both at the University and at a student’s private home in Bahrain (each working on a separate aspect). Here are some pictures of the final prototype tested in the wind tunnel where it generated a small power output. A really great outcome!
Husain, one of the students who worked on the project in Bahrain, tells us a bit more about it and his time studying Electronic Engineering BSc here.
“When I was first accepted to Brighton I was so pleased and excited to have the opportunity to complete my studies so that I can continue my journey in pursuit of my dreams and advance in my career.
The staff have always been supportive and friendly. The teachers were excellent and I learned a lot from them. In addition, they always supported and motivated us in order to get the best results and most of all, they focused on the practical side in order to enhance our self-confidence and prepare us to be competent when getting a job after graduation.
The final year project is building a vertical-axis wind turbine (VAWT) and applying a new technique on it, which is magnus effect. I have gained numerous skills during the period of work on the project. Almost the entire project was done from scratch by us, by making the necessary tools and using different methods to get different results and comparing them to reach the best results and proof of concept applying the magnus effect on the vertical-axis wind turbine (VAWT).
What I enjoyed the most was making the different parts from scratch and putting them together using different techniques. It was difficult working remotely as a team, but we were able to overcome this by holding frequent meetings and creating a high spirit of teamwork.
This year was a bit challenging obviously, remote learning was quite difficult at the beginning but thanks to the teachers and staff who maximise their efforts and increased the learning resources, in addition to the university new system which makes it easier for the students to adapt.
I would recommend this course, it is an incredible opportunity to gain theoretical and practical knowledge. And advise anyone considering it to apply to this wonderful university without hesitation.”
Catherine Johnson • July 29, 2021