A new research project headed by Dr. Yilmaz Uygun, Professor at Constructor University in Bremen hopes to continue developing and validating a patented vertical-axis wind turbine that will be manufactured utilizing the world’s largest industrial delta-type 3D printer. The project is being carried out in partnership with the County of Friesland (Germany) and is being supported by the Metropolitan Region Northwest.
Professor Uygun’s research group at Constructor University is developing vertical wind turbines and will produce them in its own 3D printer on campus in Bremen. Image Credit: Constructor University.
The goal is that the turbines are meant to provide a sustainable energy source, particularly for schools.
In the northern German county of Friesland, a pilot project for energy self-sufficient schools is now underway, with school buildings outfitted with vertical-axis wind turbines. A research team directed by Professor Uygun of Constructor University will facilitate this.
This group is researching and creating vertical wind turbines, which will be manufactured on the Bremen campus using its 3D printer and tested in the field as part of this project. This results in a fully functional test field that gives valuable data and experience for technology transfer.
With the current energy crisis and energy-saving efforts, it is becoming extremely difficult for schools to compensate for their high energy use with renewable energy. This is also owing to the fact that they must meet stringent standards—for example, no horizontal wind turbines are permitted—and solar panels are frequently insufficiently efficient to supply the high energy demand.
With this project, we are breaking new ground in urban energy generation on this scale for the first time, with the aim of making public properties energy self-sufficient. After successful testing at the Hohenkirchen Secondary School, the project is to be scaled up easily and quickly so as to contribute to the energy transition.
Dr. Yilmaz Uygun, Professor, Constructor University
The Metropolitan Region Northwest only accepts project ideas related to resource efficiency, resource protection, and energy transformation for funding. In addition to Professor Uygun's study, two other campaigns have received financing from the Bremen and Lower Saxony support funds. One explores ways to save drinking water, while the other looks for ways to recycle residual and commercial waste.