AI design company EvoPhase and precision metal fabricators Kwik Fab have unveiled an urban wind turbine tailored to the unique wind conditions of a specific geographic area. The turbine, named the Birmingham Blade, was designed using AI technology.
EvoPhase employed its AI-driven design process to create and test turbine designs suited to the lower wind speeds found in Birmingham, which average 3.6 metres per second, much lower than the 10 metres per second rating for most turbines.
Leonard Nicusan, Chief Technology Officer of EvoPhase, explained that the turbine had to be capable of harnessing Birmingham's relatively low wind speeds while managing turbulence caused by surrounding buildings. Additionally, the design had to be compact and lightweight, suitable for rooftop installations.
The team found the optimal design with curved blades that rotate around a central point, claiming that the Birmingham Blade will be up to seven times more efficient than existing designs in the area.
AI allowed the team to generate, test, and refine over 2,000 wind turbine designs within a few weeks. The design process, led by Dr Kit Windows-Yule at the University of Birmingham, mimics natural selection. This approach enables the simultaneous optimisation of multiple parameters, avoiding the traditional trade-offs between performance factors.
Kwik Fab produced the first iteration of the Birmingham Blade to demonstrate its manufacturability. An aluminium version will be installed on a rooftop in Birmingham for evaluation and testing, with the final product expected by late 2025.
The team is now working on a new design tailored to the different conditions in Edinburgh.
