Case Study: Tohoku Institute of Technology achieves wind minimization and better comfort with Hexagon CFD

Transforming strong winds to gentle breezes the relationship between wind minimization, wind turbines, and CFD

Tohoku Institute of Technology, a research institution, sought to mitigate strong winds in coastal areas that had lost their natural windbreak trees to the 2011 tsunami. Their challenge was to find an alternative solution that could weaken destructive winds while also generating power. For this research, they utilized Hexagon's Cradle CFD simulation software.

Hexagon provided analytical support, using its Cradle CFD software to accurately simulate the complex fluid dynamics of a specialized vertical axis wind turbine designed by the institution. The CFD results were crucial for validating the turbine's wind-minimizing performance and were used to create compelling visualizations for public outreach. A key result was the adoption of ten turbines by Tokyo Electron Miyagi, where they successfully reduced hazardous winds that had previously caused damage and injury.

Tohoku Institute of Technology

Toshikazu Nozawa

Research Associate