Our other blade add-ons focus on providing more optimised 3D solutions. For instance, Anakata blade furniture has intricate geometries to control and tailor airflows along different sections of the blade to maximise energy capture and reduce fatigue loads. Anakata’s unique designed geometrical features also mean drag is controlled and unsteady air flows (and their subsequent unsteady loads) end up much better managed, altering the shedding frequency of the blade. In turn, this helps break down the load amplitude and frequency shift on the blade, which in turn helps extend average operational life.
Anakata’s 3D Vortical Entrainment devices create a family of rotational flow characteristics tailored to the blade requirements. Born in F1, vortex entrainment control is a specialised technique that allows us to manage the intensity, length and trajectory of any given vortex. Field experience proves that wind industry standard Vortex Generators are not able to control these parameters as closely as our complex 3D designs can.
We have also developed our own unique noise suppression serrated solutions. These can reduce noise emissions and add extra power.
To get there, Anakata’s process uses a model scale rapid development test in an anechoic wind tunnel at its core developed with Airbus noise specialists at The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (which is a world leader in wing and noise suppression), and delivers results far superior to standard, industry offerings for serrations.
Performance is important for the transition of existing turbine blades to their optimal state, but Anakata is also leading the blade designs of the future. Our non-classical, holistic approach allows us to look beyond the current design horizon. We work with the largest OEMs and technical organisations such as Offshore Renewable Catapult to move the possibilities of next generation blade design into reality over the coming years. Whether we are investigating how lightweight, downwind blades may be more suitable for huge new offshore designs, or developing new instrumentation to assess and supress unwanted, unsteady load signatures, or designing state of the art bespoke inboard or outboard blade aerofoils, we are at the leading edge of the technology and helping the industry get better in every way.
