Wind farmers may soon be unleashing swarms of sensor-packed drones!

In order to provide a sustainable source of energy, large-scale wind farms need to enforce an efficient approach. One way to achieve optimal efficiency is to place each wind turbine in the best possible location, but this isn’t an easy task.

Finding the best spot for each turbine is currently a major obstacle for those in the wind power industry. This challenge is known as “the wake effect.” When wind moves through a specific turbine, the resulting airstream loses power, disperses, and creates turbulence. Turbines that are placed downstream can have their power outputs decreased by 40 percent as a result.

The logical defense against the wake effect is to place the turbines far away from each other, but this idea isn’t a practical solution. Since the cost of electrical cables puts constraints on long distances, turbines need a spot that isn’t too far from its neighbors but also avoids the dreaded wake effect.

Thanks to the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology, wind farmers may soon be able to have an accurate simulation of different wind turbine placements. A drone suited with sensors was able to gather accurate field data over intricate terrains and varying airflows. 

According to lead researcher Dr. Ndonga Chokani, “These measurements shall accelerate the development of simulation tools that can be used to optimize the placement of wind turbines in onshore and offshore wind farms.”

Now that a single drone was successfully field tested, the team hopes to soon test a swarm of drones flying together making simultaneous measurements.

If you’re curious what it would look like atop one of these high-flying machines, then you’re in luck. The picture below captures a first-person-view of the drone’s flight test through a wind farm landscape.