Łódź University of Technology students win ISWTC 2024 with an innovative and sustainable wind turbine design.
Students from the Łódź University of Technology have secured first place in the International Small Wind Turbine Contest (ISWTC) 2024, hosted by Hanze University of Applied Sciences in the Netherlands. Their innovative wind turbine, created as part of the GUST project, topped the Sustainability category.
The winning design is notable for its reduced carbon footprint, use of local materials, and biocomposite based on flax fibers. The international expert jury highly commended the students for their thorough life cycle analysis (LCA).
Project GUST
Initiated in October 2015, the GUST (Generative Urban Small Turbine) project involves an interdisciplinary team of students from various faculties. These include Mechanical, Chemical, Electrical Engineering, Electronics, Computer Science, Automation, Management, Process Engineering, Environmental Protection, and the International Faculty of Engineering.
Future Prospects
This year, the GUST team presented an entirely new design featuring a new generator and an innovative variable pitch system. The turbine proved effective and reliable in winds exceeding 12 m/s. Looking ahead, the students are already considering solutions for next year’s contest.