Whale Fins Inspire Fan Blades

The Toronto Star writes:

WhalePower Corp. of Toronto has spent the past year gathering data on how its new bumpy-edged blade design, which mimics the way tubercle-lined humpback flippers move through water, can improve wind turbines and fans. “What the tubercles do is make the fan quieter, more efficient, and they’re better at pushing down the air,” says Monica Bowden, chief executive officer of Envira-North, which claims about 75 per cent of the Canadian market for industrial ventilation fans. In North America it’s a $100 million market.

What an idea! Fan blades inspired from humpback whale flippers – [via] Link.