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Natural Awakenings North Central New Jersey

Hurricane-Resilient Wind Turbines Modeled After Palm Trees

Wind turbine next to palm tree

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Atlantic hurricanes pose risks to renewable energy wind turbines, and researchers at the University of Colorado-Boulder are developing more resilient models. Lucy Pao, the Palmer endowed chair in the Department of Electrical, Computer and Energy Engineering, says, “We are very much bio-inspired by palm trees, which can survive these hurricane conditions.” Traditional upwind turbine blades face into the wind, so the blades must be stiff, which requires more material and increases cost. Blades on downwind rotors face away from the wind, with less chance of hitting the tower when the winds pick up, so they can be lighter and more flexible, requiring less material. Downwind blades can also bend, instead of break, like palm trees do.

Over the last six years, Pao’s team, in conjunction with collaborators at the University of Virginia, the University of Texas at Dallas, the Colorado School of Mines and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, have collaborated to develop the Segmented Ultralight Morphing Rotor turbine, a two-bladed, downwind rotor, to test the concept in action. The researchers found that their turbine performed consistently and efficiently during periods of peak wind gusts. Mandar Phadnis, lead author of a study in Proceedings of the 2022 American Control Conference, says, “The blades are manufactured to be lightweight and very flexible, so they can align with the wind loads.”

5 Top Tips to Finding Your Next Doctor

1 Keep an Open Mind! Healthcare has come a long way. Today, you have access to practitioners that branch outside of traditional medicine and aim to identify the root causes of conditions while using alternative treatments that may help you get the relief you need. Just because it’s not a pill, doesn’t make it pseudoscience.

2 Build Your Health Care Team. There is no one doctor that can be the be-all-end-all for your health needs. Be sure to have a team of practitioners with different “lenses” and areas of expertise who will treat the root cause and not just the symptom(s).

3   Environment Influences Healing. Health is multi-factorial. Your mental and emotional environment plays a pivotal role in your healing potential. Your doctors and their staff should create an office atmosphere filled with positivity so you can get the most out of your care.

4 Your Story Matters.  Before you begin any treatment, be sure to have a comprehensive consultation to discuss your health concerns. Find practitioners who welcome questions and will take the time to listen and treat you with respect.

5 Report of Findings. When it comes to our health, we often make decisions without understanding the risk versus benefits. Knowledge is an important part of the healing process and is essential to make conscious, informed health decisions. Find practitioners who take the time to explain their exam findings and the recommendations for treatment in ways that make sense to you.

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