McMaster engineering project
Clean Energy Sensors
A sensor concept designed to help wind turbines monitor aerodynamic efficiency and respond when performance starts to drift.
The challenge
Know when a wind turbine is operating below its potential.
We were tasked with designing a system capable of obtaining and analyzing aerodynamic efficiency on wind turbines, determining optimal positioning and identifying when maintenance might be needed.
The sensing concept
Piezoelectric nanosensor paint.
Our concept used piezoelectric nanosensor paint that responds to pressure differentials by changing its electrical resistance. Multimeters inside the turbine would collect the signal for analysis.
The feedback loop
Measure → compare → respond.
An onboard computer would compare real-time values with an optimal-performance database. Depending on the result, the system could flag a maintenance need or reposition the system to recover performance.
Why it mattered
Make expensive infrastructure more responsive.
The goal was to provide fast, continuous feedback so that a wind turbine could remain closer to its optimal operating condition rather than waiting for a problem to become obvious.
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