Researchers at the University of Waterloo built a small vertical-axis wind turbine that produced around 22% more power when its blades could change their angle during operation, as compared to a configuration in which the blades stayed fixed. The result came from outdoor tests that were described in a 2019 engineering thesis by Abdalrahman Gebreel, with the prototype making use of an automated control system to adjust blade pitch in response to wind conditions that were constantly changing. The research combined computer modelling with physical testing, but it is important to understand that the reported gain applies to the experimental turbine, not wind turbines generally.
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