Published33 minutes ago
Two men who made critical contributions to the development of wind power will share the £500,000 QEPrize, nicknamed the “Nobel of engineering”.
Denmark’s Henrik Stiesdal framed the early design principles for wind turbines and led the installation of the world’s first offshore wind farm.
The UK’s Andrew Garrad developed the computer models that optimise and certify turbine and farm designs.
Their innovations had changed the world, the judges said.
And they had “enabled wind energy to fulfil a crucial role in today’s electricity generation mix”.
The 2024 Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering laureates were announced at a ceremony in London’s Science Museum, on Tuesday evening, in the presence of the Princess Royal.
Their recognition follows last year’s award to the pioneers of solar power.
Previous QE Prize winners
Mr Stiesdal and Mr Garrad began their wind journeys in the 1970s, both building “backyard” turbines.
The Dane was driven by concerns about energy costs arising from that decade’s oil shocks.
The Briton sought a practical use for his mathematical skills, following a PhD modelling water flow around fast-swimming dolphins.
Mr Stiesdal is associated with what became known as the “Danish concept”, setting the fundamental parameters for efficient and robust turbine design:
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