A series of plastic components installed on a wind turbine blade from base to tip is said to improve the turbine's performance by up to 10%. Two Danish wind energy companies worked with the Technical University of Denmark and wind energy cluster Hub North to create the system called PowerCurve.

The product is based on the concept of vortex generators, which draw the wind closer to the turbine blade and transfer more power to it. The technology dates back to World War I fighter planes and uses natural forces to increase the energy that makes the turbine blade spin.

Developers say that wind turbine blades are wear components that will become warped and have rougher surface as the turbine ages. Performance may be increased by 10% and the return on investment may be in 12-15 months.

Aerodynamics researchers from the Technical University of Denmark performed calculations of exactly how these plastic components should be shaped on individual turbines depending on size and type. PowerCurve’s product is currently being tested to determine how much more power turbines can produce using its product. Tests will be performed at wind sites in the U.S., UK, Spain, Sweden and Denmark.

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