Wind Harvesting via Vortex Induced Vibration

The purpose of this project was to develop a compact device that can transform wind energy into electrical energy using the concept of vortex shedding. Calibrated vortex shedding induced resonant oscillation. This team designed and built a small-scale prototype to test in WPI’s wind tunnel. The results demonstrated a potential for vortex induced vibration to be utilized with wind to create electricity. Difficulties arose from the low density of air compared to other fluid mediums, such as water