Wind technologies available for licensing from the University of California

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Tech ID	Title
23296	High-Strength Wind Turbine Blades And Wings Modern wind turbine blades utilize a single element from root to tip (i.e. "monoplane" blades). Furthermore, modern blades use thick airfoils in the inboard region to support the large bending loads near the blade root. While the aerodynamic performance of thick airfoils is generally poor, this is the standard compromise between aerodynamics and structures in blade design. Normally, this compromise is sufficient for small- and mid-size turbines, because the aerodynamics of the inboard region are assumed to be minor. However, as wind turbine blades continue to increase in length to capture more power, these thick airfoils will likely get thicker, highlighting the inboard region's fundamental performance trade-off between aerodynamics and structures. (more...)
21431	Fully Integrated 3D Geometric Design, Analysis, and Optimization of Blade Structures for Turbine-Based Energy Extraction Devices Analyzing wind-turbine performance data provided by the National Renewable Energy Lab in Golden, CO, UC San Diego researchers were successful in developing a new wind/hydro turbine design tool that merges the capability of traditional CAD-CAM systems with structural analysis tools to expedite and optimize designs.The main principle behind the framework is the use of the same geometry representation for geometric modeling, simulation, and design optimization of blade structures. The invention allows the user (engineering designer and/or analyst) to seamlessly integrate the following steps: Create a 3D model of the blade. The “blade” is an aerodynamically or hydrodynamically optimized shape that is mounted on a rotor of a turbine that operates to extract energy from a fluid medium. The 3D model contains the skin (outer shell) and the structural reinforcement elements, such as spar caps and shear webs. The geometry representation makes use of standard computer-aided design (CAD) technology, such as non-uniform rational B-spline (NURBS) surfaces. The NURBS patches (individual surfaces) are joined with simple geometric continuity, which does not allow gaps or overlaps in the geometry. This is essential for the next step.Perform structural analysis of the blade. Once the model is created, the designer and/or analyst assigns material properties to individual patches and defines loading conditions for the type of structural analysis he/she wants to perform. The software outputs the appropriately connected NURBS surfaces for structural simulation using isogeometric analysis (IGA). IGA works directly with the same geometric representation of the blade as used for blade geometric modeling in step 1. The output of a structural simulation includes the blade displacement, strain, stress, and other information that is of interest to the designer/analyst. Inspect simulation results and alter the design based on the outcome of the inspection. Because the structural analysis makes use of the same functional description as the geometrical model, the output of step 2 is in the format that is readable by the software where the model was created in the first place, thus enabling the designer/analyst to look at the results, make modifications on the spot, and send the model for another round of analysis, if necessary.Return the optimized blade design for manufacturing. The same functional description employed in the geometric design, analysis, and optimization may be returned for manufacturing, which is the added benefit of the invention. (more...)
18095	Highly Efficient Ocean Wave Energy Converters As the quest for clean, renewable energy intensifies, the proposition of extracting energy from ocean waves sounds increasingly more attractive. The wave energy resource is recognized to contain the highest energy density among renewables and is virtually inexhaustible. Moreover, unlike wind, the wave climate is more predictable and is generally less intermittent. The primary waves of interest are those generated by the blowing of the winds, which in turn are a product of differential heating of the earth. Therefore, the wave energy may be considered as a concentrated form of solar energy. The size (and associated energy) of the resulting waves are a function of wind speed, wind duration, and distance over which the wind blows, referred to as fetch. Original solar power levels of 100 W/m2 can be transformed into waves of power levels of over 1000 kW/m of wave crest length. Researchers at UC Berkeley have developed a new device that applies the principle of parametric excitation to ocean wave energy converters. The proposed mechanism operates fully autonomously when the buoy is heaving. The application leads to greater energy in the oscillatory motion, resulting in increased motion amplitude or, in situations where amplitude limit is reached, the possibility of using higher damping values in the power takeoff system to keep the oscillations bounded. In either case, when power take off is achieved with hydraulic damping, it would be possible to harness significantly more power from the device, compared to a unit simply excited by the waves. (more...)

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