Why Scientists Wanted to Lie to a Wind Turbine

In 2018, scientists deliberately pointed a wind turbine away from the wind. It made LESS electricity. And that was exactly the point. At a wind farm in Colorado, researchers discovered that making one turbine less efficient could actually help the turbines behind it produce more power. But why would turning a wind turbine away from the wind make any sense? This is the story of a surprisingly clever idea called wake steering, how engineers tested it in the real world, and why a tiny improvement can be worth millions in wind energy. Welcome to Scrap Paper Explains, where we explore the surprisingly interesting science, engineering, and history behind everyday things through handmade paper-style animation. Sources and further reading: NREL: Initial Results From a Field Campaign of Wake Steering Applied at a Commercial Wind Farm https://research-hub.nlr.gov/en/publi... US Department of Energy: Wake Steering Performance Evaluated at Scale https://www.energy.gov/cmei/systems/a... DTU: Wind Farm Wake, The Horns Rev Photo Case https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/6/2/696 RES: Wake Steering at Scale, Real Results From a Commercial Wind Farm https://www.res-group.com/resources/p... #WindTurbines #ScienceExplained #Engineering