WHALE TURBINESS
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F R
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PR
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Humpback whales are massive! They can
grow up to 16 metres long and weigh around
36,000 kilograms. But despite their huge size,
they still move gracefully through the water and
can make tight turns when hunting schools of fish.
Scientists suspected that this agility was a
result of the strange-looking bumps on their
flippers, which are called “tubercles”. These
tubercles channel the water over the whales’
flippers in such a way that it lets them “grip” it
while they manoeuvre.
Researchers have now found out that by
adding these lumps and bumps to the blades of
wind turbines, they became nearly 40 percent
So, it looks like
the best way
to solve any
problem is to
ask yourself,
what would
Nature do?
It does have
billions of years
of experience,
after all.more ef ficient! They have also experimented
with adding tubercles to aircraft wings, and
have found that the decreased drag means that
the planes use less fuel. The reason behind
the success of these tubercles is the way they
channel air through the spaces between
them, creating little vor tices that
control how the water (or air)
moves across the blades as
they cut through it.
From the deepest
oceans, Nature has now
inspired improvements
in the air!- Nature runs on sunlight
- Nature uses only the
energy it needs - Nature designs its forms
around their function - Nature recycles everything
- Nature rewards cooperation
- Nature does best when it’s as
diverse as possible - Nature
uses what is has on hand - Nature never produces more
than it needs, and if does,
it makes use of the extra - Nature uses limits as
opportunities
GOING GREEN!G