Most of the people reading this will have dozens of fans thought their house. In the computer you are sitting on (sometimes a few of them), in the ceiling to cool the house, in the oven to move heat evenly, in the bathroom to stop mildew and many other places. All these fans have something in common and that is the design of the blades, but that is going to change soon.
Whales have existed on earth for millions of years, and they have evolved (unless you believe that god made everything just perfect) to be incredibly aerodynamic. Their fins are so aerodynamic that WhalePower Corp, of Toronto, have spent the last year designing a blade that mimics the tubercles found on whales fins. The results were so positive that Envira-North Systems Ltd (they make most of Canada’s ceiling fans) have licensed the design to be used in a new series of ceiling fans.
The numbers have said things like 32 per cent less drag and an 8 per cent rise in lift, but what does this all mean for the average Joe out there? Imagine the computer fan being quieter and being able to move more air. Imagine plane propellers being more efficient and faster. Imagine the gains in wind turbine power, if even a percent, would create a lot more energy.
WhalePower have said that around dozen Canadian companies have shown interest as well as 2 US companies, which shows there is interest in the design. It shouldn’t be long till all fans could quite possibly be replaced with this new design, and I am one person who can’t wait for a computer that doesn’t sound like a helicopter.

For more info, click over to EcoGeek.