Reviewed by Danielle Ellis, B.Sc.Nov 28 2024
The world’s first AI-designed urban wind turbine, customized to the particular wind conditions of a particular region, was unveiled by precision metal fabricators KwikFab and AI design experts EvoPhase. It has been named the Birmingham Blade by the team.
Dr Kit Windows Yule, University of Birmingham, and Chief Scientific Officer, EvoPhase; Leonard Nicusan, Chief Technology Officer, EvoPhase; Dominik Werner, CEO, EvoPhase; David Coleman, CEO, University of Birmingham Enterprise; Jack Sykes, Chief Operating Officer, EvoPhase; John Cook, Entrepreneur-in-Residence, University of Birmingham Enterprise; Laura Bond, Entrepreneur-in-Residence, University of Birmingham Enterprise; Paul Jarvis, Managing Director, Kwik Fab Ltd. Image Credit: University of Birmingham
The cooperation between EvoPhase and KwikFab addresses one of the most important concerns in the green energy landscape: how to build small-scale, low-cost generators of clean wind energy.
EvoPhase used its AI-driven design method to build and evaluate designs for efficiency at Birmingham wind speeds of 3.6 meters per second, which are significantly lower than conventional turbines’ 10-meter-per-second ratings.
We needed a turbine that could capture Birmingham’s relatively low wind speeds while managing turbulence caused by surrounding buildings. The design also had to be compact and lightweight to suit rooftop installations.
Leonard Nicusan, Chief Technology Officer, EvoPhase
EvoPhase discovered the ideal design for curved blades that revolved around a central point and confirmed that it would be up to seven times more efficient than current designs in the Birmingham area.
Nicusan added, “Using AI was essential for breaking free from the long-standing biases that have influenced turbine designs for the past century. AI allowed us to explore design possibilities beyond the scope of traditional human experimentation. We were able to generate, test, and refine over 2,000 wind turbine designs in just a few weeks, significantly accelerating our development process and achieving what would have taken years and millions of pounds through conventional methods.”
He further added, “Our evolutionary simulations have confirmed the Birmingham Blade is up to seven times more efficient than existing designs in Birmingham’s wind speeds and urban environment. The final design is not just a prototype — it is a predictive solution that is ready for real-world use.”
EvoPhase’s AI-led evolutionary design process, which was created by a research team at the University of Birmingham under the direction of Dr. Kit Windows-Yule, simulates natural selection and enables the simultaneous optimization of numerous parameters without the need for conventional trade-offs between performance factors.
KwikFab created the first iteration of the Birmingham Blade to demonstrate the design's practicality for manufacturing. An aluminum prototype will be installed on a Birmingham roof space for evaluation and testing, with the final product likely to be available in late 2025.
The EvoPhase-KwikFab collaboration provides rapid design and prototyping services, and the team is currently working on a new design for the extremely different conditions in Edinburgh.
Paul Jarvis of KwikFab is certain that Birmingham has enough ability and space to provide a speedy turnaround from design to prototyping for wind turbines that are geographically customized to specific local conditions worldwide.
We can take a complex design, and manufacture and ship a prototype for testing within weeks. We’d like to work with organizations that want to make the most of wind power, a source of sustainable energy that is free, and present in every country.
Paul Jarvis, Managing Director, KwikFab Ltd
Since its inception in 2023, EvoPhase has applied its AI-powered evolutionary design methodology to industries other than wind energy, such as optimizing equipment for mixing, blending, and storing granular materials in the food, pharmaceutical, and chemical production sectors.EvoPhase’s work with KwikFab highlights the wide range of its predictive designs.
It was made possible in part by the Manchester Prize, which designated the team a finalist in the prize’s debut year, May 2024. The Manchester Prize is a multi-million-pound challenge prize awarded by the UK's Department for Science, Innovation, and Technology to recognize UK-led achievements in artificial intelligence for the public good.