MIT-led team tests wind turbines in air 220 times denser

Researchers from MIT, Queen's, Princeton and Penn State tested a 15-cm turbine model in a pressurized wind tunnel at up to 240 atmospheres, reproducing conditions of turbines 15–35 m in diameter. Adjusting tip speed when turbines are misaligned with the wind raised power output and could add tens of thousands of dollars in annual revenue per turbine.

• 15-cm turbine model tested at pressures up to 240 atmospheres
• Air density raised 100–220 times to mimic full-scale turbines
• Tuning tip speed under misalignment produced new power maximums
• Validated model runs on ordinary laptops, cutting field tests