How has time optimized this biological wind turbine?

Introduction The motivation for this project is to simulate

aerodynamics in nature and explore the application of the simulated designs in many

places, especially in renewable power generation.

Computational Fluid Dynamics

Assumptions & Model• Seed in Cylindrical Duct with frictionless walls

(simulating steady-state seed falling vertically)• Incompressible flow• Three-Dimensional Steady

3D Geometry

Volumetric Mesh

Finite Volume SolverThe assumptions above are given as well as the following conditions determined from high speed video data:• V= 1.5 m/s (vertical velocity of falling seed)• ω= 1600 r.p.m. (rotation of falling seed)• Pitch and coning angles= 0°

Design Applications

Power Generation

Decelerator Potential

Flow Simulation of a Maple Seed and Engineering Designs Jacob Holden, Thomas Caley, Dr. Mark G. Turner

College of Engineering and Applied Science, Aerospace Engineering

Simulation Results

1 2

3 4

Acknowledgements• Dr. Mark Turner for endless guidance and

advice• Dr. Urmila Ghia and Temesgen Aure for their

coordination of the AY-REU Program• NSF for funding this project, NSF Type 1 STEP

Grant, Grant ID No.: DUE-0756921

• Relative velocity streamtubes (image 1,2, & 3) show the flow as the rotating seed sees it

• Specifically the vortices at the tip are noticed in 1 & 2

• CAD files of 4 collected seed samples came from CT Scans by Exact Metrology

• The Volume is divided into ~2 million polyhedral cells for the solver to compute

Currently supplies are airdropped into remote locations with expensive and unreliable parachutes. A decelerator with maple seed inspiration would be effective and simple.

The driving motivation is power generation. The theory is that a maple seed has been genetically optimized to extract the most power from the air, which is also the goal of a wind turbine.