Structural integrity and fatigue evaluation of vertical axis wind turbine with bioinspired profile for sustainable energy application
Revathi RAMAKRISHNAN, Mohamed KAMRA, Saeed ALNUAIMI
Abstract. Drawing upon the aerodynamic phenomenon from nature, maple seed has long served as a natural blueprint for developing energy efficient wind turbine. Exhibiting an inherent auto rotation, these seeds descent in a distinctive manner, characterized by aerodynamic lift and persistent rotational balance. While maple inspired wind turbine has been extensively investigated from an aerodynamic perspective; however, limited research directed towards structural behaviour which critically governs the performance and durability. Addressing this gap, the present study investigates a bio-inspired vertical axis wind turbine using a high-fidelity three-dimensional scan of maple seed to ensure precise biomimetic accuracy in the blade geometry. A holistic structural assessment was performed, accentuating the stress and deformation pattern along with fatigue evaluations and modal analysis. Findings demonstrate that the blade tips markedly influenced the performance with blade curvature experiencing the highest stress increasing from 8.2 MPa at 3 m/s to 110.7 MPa at 11 m/s, while strain rose proportionally with velocity. The steel-based configuration maintained a safety factor above 1.0 up to 9 m/s, confirming its suitability for wind environments. The outcomes establishes that synergy between the biomimetic design with advanced structural analysis provides a foundation for structurally resilient turbine that directly contribute to global energy transition and sustainable solution.
Keywords
Wind Turbine, Clean Energy, Bio-Inspired, Maple Seed, Renewable Energy, Structure
Published online 6/20/2026, 9 pages
Copyright © 2026 by the author(s)
Published under license by Materials Research Forum LLC., Millersville PA, USA
Citation: Revathi RAMAKRISHNAN, Mohamed KAMRA, Saeed ALNUAIMI, Structural integrity and fatigue evaluation of vertical axis wind turbine with bioinspired profile for sustainable energy application, Materials Research Proceedings, Vol. 67, pp 85-93, 2026
DOI: https://doi.org/10.21741/9781644904176-12
The article was published as article 12 of the book Climate Action and Sustainability
Content from this work may be used under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license. Any further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the title of the work, journal citation and DOI.
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