• Study Programme,

Centrale Nantes hosts the jury for the International Small Wind Turbine Contest (ISWTC)

During the 2024–2025 academic year, eleven teams of students from around the world (Canada, Denmark, Egypt, France, Spain, Greece, Poland, the Netherlands) worked on the design and construction of a small wind turbine with a diameter of 2m².

on June 27, 2025

These wind turbines were tested in the wind tunnel at the Centre Scientifique et Technique du Bâtiment in Nantes from 23 to 25 June.

Then on Thursday 26 June, each team pitched their project to a panel of experts at Centrale Nantes. At the end of the jury session, three teams were awarded prizes:

  • Overall Winner: Aiolos NTUA (Greece)
  • Best Engineering and Aerodynamic Performance: DTU (Denmark)
  • Sustainability Prize: Eurus (Egypt)
The participating teams also had the opportunity to present their projects during the Wind Energy Science Conference organised by Centrale Nantes.
Participating Institutions
  • Ain Shams University (Egypt)
  • Centrale Nantes (France)
  • Hanze University of Applied Sciences (Netherlands)
  • Inholland University of Applied Sciences (Netherlands)
  • Lodz University of Technology (Poland)
  • National Technical University Of Athens (Greece)
  • Technical University of Denmark (Denmark)
  • University of Manitoba (Canada)
  • University of Toronto (Canada)
  • Universitat Politècnica de València (Spain)
  • Zewail City of Science and Technology (Egypt)

Calypso, the Student Team from Centrale Nantes

Eight students from Centrale Nantes took part in the small wind turbine project as part of the "International Small Wind Turbine Contest" project-based specialisation, supervised by Caroline Braud, a research scientist at the Research Laboratory in Hydrodynamics, Energetics & Atmospheric Environment (LHEEA)

To carry out their project, the students benefited from the expertise of the school’s teaching and research staff (LHEEA and LS2N) and the support of the FabLab teams.
 

A look back at the project in pictures

The International Small Wind Turbine Contest (ISWTC)

The goal of the ISWTC is to build the most efficient wind turbine with the highest energy output. The competition is divided into two phases.

First, the student teams prepare a design and sustainability report. In the design report, they explain their technical choices, based on theoretical research, and describe the construction of their wind turbine. The sustainability report covers the aspects of the turbine that make it suitable for deployment in developing regions (for example: life cycle assessment, integration, ease of maintenance, choice of materials).

The second phase involves the construction of the small wind turbine. Teams build and complete their project. In June, a testing week is organized, during which the teams test their turbines. The turbines are first inspected for electronic and mechanical safety systems, and then tested in a wind tunnel. Their power output is measured. The goal: to achieve the highest energy production.
 

Published on June 27, 2025 Updated on August 19, 2025

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