When placed at the tip of a turbine blade, the vulture-inspired C-shaped winglets reduce drag, potentially increasing the turbine's efficiency by up to 10% under optimal conditions, according to a study published in the journal Energy .

In fact, the Andean condor can fly up to 150 miles a day without flapping its wings. Research on bird gliding wings has been used to design commercial and military aircraft wings around the world to increase lift, says Brian Fleck, professor of mechanical engineering and expert in aerodynamics.

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The plane has a small wing. Photo: EN

“Before, airplanes had straight wings,” Fleck explains. “Now we see wings with the tips of the wings up, and there’s a reason for that.”

The upturned section reduces the vortex of air flowing out of the wingtips due to the difference in air pressure at the top and bottom, he said. The small wings allow the 15kg vulture to hover for long periods of time, using the least amount of energy.

Turbine blade tips are an example of looking to the natural world for solutions to design problems, a growing field called biomimicry.

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Research on vulture wings for application in wind turbine blades. Photo: EN

“It is amazing that nature has evolved over millennia to come up with such optimal designs,” said Khashayar RahnamayBahambary, co-author of the study.

The team simulated the rotational motion of turbine blades using computational fluid dynamics, with promising results.

Designed to retrofit existing turbines, the blades could reduce electricity prices for consumers in the future.

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