UPIEM Develops Innovative Solution to Power Classrooms and Rural Areas

Reporter: Enrique Soto / Photographer: Jorge Aguilar

Researchers and students at the Unidad Profesional Interdisciplinaria de Energía y Movilidad (UPIEM) have designed turbine blades that capture wind energy more efficiently than conventional models. These blades were recently tested in a sustainable classroom.

KEY FACTS

Featuring a unique aerodynamic design, the blades can operate even in low-wind conditions and generate up to 5 kilowatts, enough to cover the energy needs of a sustainable classroom.

The UPIEM team has developed advanced vertical-axis wind turbine blades that can produce up to 50% more energy than standard turbines, potentially supplying electricity to classrooms and homes in both urban and rural settings.

Project lead José Alejandro Aguirre Anaya, a UPIEM researcher, heads the initiative titled “Harnessing Wind Energy through Vertical-Axis Wind Turbines for Schools”. The project aims to power the first sustainable classroom at UPIEM, reduce reliance on conventional energy sources, and lower the carbon footprint.

According to Aguirre Anaya, the blades were designed using artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms. He explained that the project was motivated by the underutilization of wind energy in urban areas:

“We focused on creating vertical-axis turbine blades that are simple to manufacture and install, capable of meeting the energy requirements of classrooms, laboratories, or even residential buildings in both urban and rural environments.”

The first phase of the project involves installing four vertical-axis turbines in a UPIEM classroom. Each turbine is equipped with the new blades, a charge controller, a lithium-ion battery storage system, and an inverter to convert direct current to alternating current for practical use.

Aguirre Anaya emphasized that the goal is to expand this initiative across other IPN academic units, enabling them to set up sustainable classrooms powered by their own vertical-axis turbines.

“These turbines are expected to generate between 4 and 5 kilowatts—sufficient to meet the six-hour energy demand of a sustainable UPIEM classroom, including lights and outlets,” he said.

For the first turbine prototype, the blades were optimized with a special aerodynamic profile that ensures efficient performance even under low-wind conditions.

“We evaluated the blades using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations to measure the efficiency of the aerodynamic profile,” he added.

As a candidate for the National System of Researchers (SNII), Aguirre Anaya confirmed that, due to their innovative design, the new blades are expected to be patented or registered as a utility model with the relevant intellectual property authorities.