Bladeless wind turbine that sways in the wind could safely produce 460 watts in computer simulations, and the most efficient design turned out not to be the most powerful

A team at the University of Glasgow, in the James Watt School of Engineering, says computer simulations indicate a bladeless wind turbine could safely produce 460 watts. The design uses a short mast—31.5 inches (0.8 m) long—driven by vortex-induced vibration rather than spinning blades. Their study, published in Renewable Energy in June 2025, modeled mechanical power for winds ranging from 20 to 70 mph. Glasgow notes field prototypes have reached about 100 watts so far, and the work did not connect the mast to a generator. While some shapes exceed 600 watts, they would stress the nylon support beyond its 40–60 MPa yield strength. The team found efficiency and maximum power don’t align, with safer results favoring a narrower mast.