A cutting-edge technique used to design superfast yachts of the type skippered by Sir Ben Ainslie, the most successful sailor in Olympic history, could revolutionise wind energy. According to an Edinburgh firm designing wind turbine blades based on the sails of racing yachts, the price of offshore energy could be cut by nearly 9%. ACT Blade claims that its blades can deliver “dramatic performance gains” over the current fibreglass designs, because they are based on yachts that travel “up to three times the speed of wind”. The company has produced turbine blades that are 50% lighter and 30% stiffer than fibreglass equivalents.
Times 22nd July 2018 read more »
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