Design and Experimental Analysis of an Exhaust Air Energy Recovery Wind Turbine Generator

Ahmad Fazlizan,Sook Yip,Sin Poh,Wooi Hew,Wen Chong

doi:10.3390/en8076566

Ahmad Fazlizan, Sook Yip + Show 3 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/en8076566

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Journal: Energies	Publication Date: Jun 30, 2015
Citations: 37	License type: CC BY 4.0

Affiliation: University of Malaya

Abstract

A vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT) was positioned at the discharge outlet of a cooling tower electricity generator. To avoid a negative impact on the performance of the cooling tower and to optimize the turbine performance, the determination of the VAWT position in the discharge wind stream was conducted by experiment. The preferable VAWT position is where the higher wind velocity matches the positive torque area of the turbine rotation. With the proper matching among the VAWT configurations (blade number, airfoil type, operating tip-speed-ratio, etc.) and exhaust air profile, the turbine system was not only able to recover the wasted kinetic energy, it also reduced the fan motor power consumption by 4.5% and increased the cooling tower intake air flow-rate by 11%. The VAWT had a free running rotational speed of 479 rpm, power coefficient of 10.6%, and tip-speed-ratio of 1.88. The double multiple stream tube theory was used to explain the VAWT behavior in the non-uniform wind stream. For the actual size of a cooling tower with a 2.4 m outlet diameter and powered by a 7.5 kW fan motor, it was estimated that a system with two VAWTs (side-by-side) can generate 1 kW of power which is equivalent to 13% of energy recovery.

Highlights

IntroductionBy the end of the year 2014, one of the primary sources of energy, i.e., crude oil was showing a reduction trend in price which was thought could lead to a reduction of the electricity price [1]
By the end of the year 2014, one of the primary sources of energy, i.e., crude oil was showing a reduction trend in price which was thought could lead to a reduction of the electricity price [1].According to the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), this declining trend is likely to continue throughout 2015 [2]
Based on the result, when the turbine is spinning at a high rotational speed, the cooling tower model experiences an increment in air flow rate and a reduction in fan motor power consumption

Summary

Introduction

By the end of the year 2014, one of the primary sources of energy, i.e., crude oil was showing a reduction trend in price which was thought could lead to a reduction of the electricity price [1]. According to the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), this declining trend is likely to continue throughout 2015 [2]. More than 90% of the energy related greenhouse gases emission is a result of the CO2 emissions from fuel combustion globally [6]. The increase in the concentration of greenhouse gases emission has caused a notable rise of temperature in the earth’s atmosphere (global warming) and widespread melting of snow and ice at the polar ice caps [7]

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Results

Conclusion