TFC Energy (Twenty First Century Energy, Fairborn, OH) develops, manufactures, and sells Vertical Axis Wind Turbines (VAWT) for low-speed wind conditions.   Desktop Engineering (DE) Magazine recently authored an article on the use of CFD in renewable energy technology.  TFC Energy's use of SC/Tetra was featured in the article.  The following is an excerpt from the article and highlights the efficiency of SC/Tetra, its user-friendliness, and it's parallel processing capabilities.  The entire article can be read on-line using the following link.   <DE article >

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Excerpt from "Renewable Energy Options Multiply with CFD Solutions"

Desktop Engineering. Feb 4, 2010

In a third departure from classic wind turbines, designers at TFC Energy are working to capture low-speed winds (approximately 10 mph) using relatively short, curved panels mounted vertically. This contrasts to the traditional horizontally mounted blades high on pylons that work best at speeds from 18 to 20mph. Such a design works regardless of wind direction and therefore requires no expensive tracking system.

Until June of 2009, TFC Energy Chief Engineer Doug Bogart had been refining his designs based on test data gathered in the company’s wind tunnel. However, Dr. George Huang, a CFD expert at nearby Wright State University, recommended using SC/Tetra from Software Cradle. He explained that the software could handle a full 3D analysis and operate on parallel processors. This latter fact has been particularly helpful as the company has added more processors to its computer systems. User friendliness of SC/Tetra has also been a key feature, letting Bogart, new to CFD analyses, quickly come up to speed expediting the development process.