Abstract
Significant potential for reducing thermal energy consumption in buildings of moderate and cold climate countries lies within wind energy utilisation. Unlike solar irradiation, character of wind speeds in Central and Northern Europe correspond to the actual thermal energy demand in buildings. However, mechanical wind energy undergoes transformation into electrical energy before being actually used as thermal energy in most wind energy applications. The study presented in this paper deals with hydraulic systems, designed for small-scale applications to eliminate the intermediate energy transformation as it converts mechanical wind energy into heat directly. The prototype unit containing a pump, flow control valve, oil tank and piping was developed and tested under laboratory conditions. Results of the experiments showed that the prototype system is highly efficient and adjustable to a broad wind velocity range by modifying the definite hydraulic system resistance. Development of such small-scale replicable units has the potential to promote “bottom-up” solutions for the transition to a zero carbon society.
Highlights
Wind power was the energy technology with the highest installation rate in Europe in 2015, accounting for 44% of all new installations [1]
In subsequent calculations and discussions, correlation of energy produced with wind speed is strictly subject to this assumption, as thermal energy output of the system as well as corresponding wind speed depends on the technical parameters of the wind rotor
It’s known but almost forgotten that hydraulic systems can be used for conversion of wind mechanical energy to thermal without producing the electricity
Summary
Wind power was the energy technology with the highest installation rate in Europe in 2015, accounting for 44% of all new installations [1]. The vast majority of current European wind energy installations are large-scale variable speed wind energy conversion systems, designed for electrical energy production via doubly fed induction generators [4]. The main economic advantage provided by such wind energy systems, incorporated within the urban environment, is the location of the energy source close to the load [6]. In the case of Baltic States, a major part of total energy load in buildings is required to cover space heating and domestic hot water demand. This paper is focused on possibilities to use alternative or parallel conversion technologies which can be developed to contribute to smart energy management according to specific energy demand. Combining wind energy conversion into electricity and heat would allow reaching higher energy conversion efficiency for total energy supply systems and expand the application range of wind energy technologies
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