The AeroShade™ is a hybrid of multiple innovative ideas and existing products. The corporate project sponsor, Construction Specialties™, presented the challenge of developing a building integrated wind system that was effective and architecturally appealing. The resulting design is based of the frame of a sunshade that the client currently produces. This allows the client to maintain and further market to their already strong customer base of medium sized buildings. The system both produces clean energy and provides the same shade as a traditional sunshade. The modular system can be adjusted for an optimized fit and energy output on any structure.

This project involved a great deal of research into existing wind turbine technology and the effectiveness of each type. In order to design a product ideal for the client, I also investigated their product line to see what elements were versatile and could be used on all type of buildings.

Linked pinwheel turbines at the front capture the fast laminar flow far from the building. The angle-adjustable front segment uses airfoil blades induce a pressure difference to increase performance of the pinwheel turbines. Savonius turbines are used between the sunshade blades to capture more turbulent flow closer to the building.

The pinwheel turbines are manufactured from low-cost recycled plastic that is folded over to form blades. This blade design uses both lift and drag to drive rotation and therefore is ideal for varying wind conditions and directions. When linked with plastic gears, the micro-turbines generate a great amount of power.

The modular system combines customizable micro-wind turbines with the structure of the client’s existing sunshade product line. Their airfoil and elliptical blades work perfectly to enhance turbine efficiency. Also, the system is already architecturally appealing since it is designed to look similar to their current sunshades which are widely accepted.

Each individual AeroShade™ is effective at diffusing sunlight and providing wind power. Its modularity allows it to be easily installed and optimized for any building configuration or size. When used together, the AeroShade™ becomes a fairly inexpensive system that has a projected ROI less than 2 years for midsize buildings.