A UNSW Canberra engineering student’s special wind turbine blade design could see telescopes in Antarctica powered by renewable energy sources in the darkness of winter.
In 2014, Rosemary Barnes, who has nearly completed her doctorate, presented her ideas for low-cost wind turbine solutions at the UNSW Three-Minute Thesis competition – and won at the finals.
In the audience was astrophysics Professor Michael Ashley, from the UNSW Science’s School of Physics, who was inspired by Barnes’ thesis as a potential solution for powering a major observatory project in Antarctica.
Professor Ashley’s team is leading an Australian bid to build an infrared/optical telescope on the Antarctic plateau and collaborate with Chinese and US astronomy researchers in existing facilities on the icy continent.
Because the unmanned observatories must remain functional throughout the year, save for one to three weeks’ annual maintenance, the team is not just providing astronomical instrumentation, but also computer control, satellite communications and power systems.
The Antarctic winter, in the middle of the year, sees more than four months of continuous darkness, where the sun does not make an appearance. With a tonne of batteries capable of powering all the equipment and instruments for little more than a day or two, the team has had to rely on diesel generators, an expensive and polluting option, especially in the Antarctic environs.
Professor Ashley’s Chinese collaborators were keen to replace the diesel engines with renewable energy sources if possible. Until he heard Barnes’ thesis, Professor Ashley’s team had discounted the possibility of wind power.
“Despite the common perception of Antarctica, the place where we are working at the top of the high plateau in the centre of Antarctica is the least windy place on Earth,” he explained.
Professor Ashley approached Barnes after her talk to see whether she was interested in working on a special wind turbine blade design to suit the unusual Antarctic conditions. She agreed, and was engaged to consult on aerodynamic and structural design.
“It is great to get the opportunity to apply some of my PhD research to a practical problem. I am really looking forward to seeing the turbine manufactured and installed,” Barnes said.
Professor Ashley has applied for an ARC Linkage grant to pay for the prototype turbine and a design for a new lower-pollution diesel engine.
“Rosemary is a fantastic example of how good communication skills can lift an excellent researcher to the extraordinary,” said Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Research Training) Professor Laura Poole-Warren. “Her research is incredibly important, with climate change and energy costs being the focus of concern for so many people in the community.”