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Scientists have been trying to develop a new, more efficient turbine shape for 50 years – and WhalePower has succeeded, based on a technology a million years in the making! Led by inventor Frank Fish, the company has patented a new kind of fluid flow management inspired by the bumps (or “tubercles”) on the leading edge of humpback whale flippers. The team's Tubercle TechnologyTM has proven scalability and demonstrated great potential for machines as diverse as wind turbine blades, very large (up to 7.5-meter) fans, diesel cooling fans and small computer fans. Tubercle rotors and blades deliver increased efficiency in the range of 10 to 20% when compared to the best products on the market. The impact? An enormous amount of the energy in computers is used to cool them. WhalePower’s technology applied to an existing computer fan already uses 11% less energy than the absolute best product currently available, with room for further improvements. Overall, Tubercle TechnologyTM has the potential to make significant contributions to green technology in numerous areas from wind generation to tidal / hydro power, both reducing power requirements and generating more green power efficiently.

The Clean50 Individual awards are selected from 16 diverse categories that transcend industries, academia, different levels of government, thought leaders and advocates, and are based on accomplishments delivered over the prior two years.