From http://www.abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=4400368&page=1 via viktorschaubergergroup@yahoogroups.com:
Mimicking the Bumps on Humpback-whale Fins Could Lead to More Efficient Wind Turbines.
"Prototypes of wind-turbine blades have shown that the delayed stall doubles the performance of the turbines at wind speeds of about 17 miles per hour and allows the turbine to capture more energy out of lower-speed winds. For example, the turbines generate the same amount of power at 10 miles per hour that conventional turbines generate at 17 miles per hour. The tubercles effectively channel the air flow across the blades and create swirling vortices that enhance lift."

Interesting, but I'd be inclined to think that these things might work only over a very narrow range of speeds. It sounds more or less like the effect of leading edge turbulators which are known (and are used), to promote adhesion of a locally turbulent boundary layer and delay a stall in certain low speed airfoils and on blunt object (like golf balls).

I don't see turbulators on sailplane wings, and for good reason. At high speed they would utterly ruin performance of a laminar flow airofoil.

So I remain extremely doubtful. - What would the turbine do in a greater wind speed when there is far more useful energy available to recover?

Justin

very interesting link CWatters
ta, tom

Justin/Ed,
I can see their reasoning as the turbine blade is always facing the wind direction, rotating through the air and tip wash is a major energy loss/noise problem, whereas a yacht or plane actively want to be able to side-slip as the wind is never coming straight at them, unless your stopping/landing.
tom

What about using a vertical axis turbine? From the information I have read they appear to operate ok and lower wind speeds