International Small Wind Turbine Contest (ISWTC)
Airrion is developing its wind turbine for the International Small Wind Turbine Contest (ISWTC), an annual contest in which university student teams from different countries design and build a small wind turbine.
The contest was first organised in 2013 by NHL University of Applied Sciences and has been organised by Hanze University of Applied Sciences in Groningen, the Netherlands, since 2018. The goal is to build the most efficient wind turbine, with the highest energy yield.
Bachelor and Master student teams can take part, usually 3 to 25 students, with supervision by teachers or PhD candidates allowed. Recent editions have included teams from the Technical University of Denmark (DTU), the University of Toronto, the University of Manitoba, the Polytechnic University of Valencia and the National Technical University of Athens, among others.
Participation requires a fee of €500 to cover the rental of the wind tunnel, while building costs usually range from a few hundred to a few thousand euros.
Teams design the turbine based on theoretical research. Two weeks before the tests they hand in a technical report and a sustainability report to the jury; the latter covers the turbine’s suitability for developing regions (life cycle assessment, embeddedness, maintainability, choice of materials).
From February to June the teams build their turbines. Usually at the end of June or the beginning of July each team is tested for 2–3 hours in the Open Jet Facility wind tunnel of TU Delft, after passing an inspection of the electronics and mechanical safety systems. The power output is measured.
At the Energy Barn in Groningen the teams present their turbines and results. A jury of industry and academic experts assesses them and announces the winners at an award ceremony open to the public.
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