Development of Peregrine Biomimetic Aerodynamic Model for Optimisation of Wind Turbine Blade System

Wind energy systems deployed in low-wind areas tend to operate below their aerodynamic potential, primarily because most commercial blade profiles were originally designed for high wind speed regimes. This disparity is particularly evident in regions like Sub-Sahara Africa, where wind speed average is low and atmospheric turbulence is high. The current study investigates a biomimetic design trajectory, inspired by wing morphology of the peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus), as a potential method for improving blade performance in these conditions. The key falcon wing features of progressive twist, varying camber and high aspect ratio were parameterised mathematically and translated into a blade design using dimensional scaling with blade element momentum (BEM) theory. The study analysed both biomimetic and conventional blade configurations, select designs were validated using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations in ANSYS Fluent employing the SSTk-ω model. The optimised biomimetic FB-2 achieved a peak power coefficient ( ) of approximately 0.487 ± 0.012 at a tip ratio (λ) of 7.2, resulting in 14.3% efficiency gain compared to NRELS809 blade. The CFD analysis revealed delayed flow separation, a 22% reduction in tip-vortex strength, and smoother wake-recovery, which contribute to better aerodynamic efficiency. Furthermore, a 14.2% increase in annual energy production was achieved. A reduction in aerodynamic thrust was also observed, which is beneficial for structural stability, although detailed fatigue analysis was outside the scope of this study. These achievements attributed to the superior aerodynamics of the peregrine falcon’s wing profiles. This approach is fundamental for small and medium- sized wind turbine blades and is practically applicable in low-wind areas of sub-Sahara Africa. The research relies on numerical modelling and simulations; further research on prototype development and deployment is suggested.