Bladeless Wind Turbine Research Articles

A State-of-the-Art Review on Vortex Induced Vibrations Phenomenon Bladeless Wind Turbine Technology

Vortex bladeless wind turbine (VBWT) is a new wind power extraction technology that is dependent on the Aero-elasticity phenomenon that is called vortex induced vibrations – VIV – which is derived from the study of flow induced vibrations, it is the phenomenon that arises from the interaction of inertial, structural and aerodynamic forces over a bluff body. it has been found that when Air – ideal gas - flows around a body an induced oscillatory motion can be established by vortex shedding. By leveraging the induced oscillatory motion resulting from VIV, Vortex Bladeless aims to generate power in a novel way. The absence of traditional blades sets this technology apart from conventional wind turbines and introduces different dynamics in the extraction of wind energy. VBWT devices are particularly advantageous in low to moderate wind situations, where traditional turbines may prove inefficient or unfeasible. Moreover, their reduced noise levels and compact size render them suitable for urban or ecologically sensitive regions. The selection of this new technology to be investigated and studied will play an important role in wind energy field of study opening a new chapter in the development of this kind of renewable energy, leading to generate power with a lesser cost than that produced by the conventional wind turbines by 40 %. Nonetheless, the efficacy of VBWT may be constrained in high-wind conditions where conventional turbines thrive, and their performance is significantly influenced by certain design and resonance attributes.

An experimental investigation of a solar chimney integrated with a bladeless wind turbine for sustainable energy harvesting

The current study explores the potential of combining small-scale solar chimney systems with blade-less wind turbines for sustainable energy solutions in Egypt through mathematical modelling, numerical simulation, and experimental work. The integration of a vortex bladeless turbine and a conventional horizontal axis wind turbine in a hybrid energy harvester solar chimney system (VBSCS) was evaluated, as well as the effect of changing the absorber material on improving the system's performance. Shredded rubber improves heat absorption in solar chimney collectors, optimizing energy conversion and providing a sustainable, eco-friendly solution while addressing challenges and cost-effectiveness in implementing this hybrid solution. The mathematical model predicted the highest power at 0.38 W, while the CFD model yielded 0.298 W. Experimental results showed power outputs of 0.18 and 0.25 W for the SCS with concrete and shredded rubber absorbers, respectively. In addition, the VBSCS with a concrete absorber produced 0.29 W. The determined percentage improvement over the SCS with a concrete absorber was 61.1 % for the VBSCS and 38.9 % for the SCS with a black rubber absorber. These findings demonstrate the delicate interplay of design aspects and material choices that influence the performance of both bladeless wind turbines and solar collector systems.

Bladeless Wind Turbine Triboelectric Nanogenerator for Effectively Harvesting Random Gust Energy

AbstractIn the environment, there is an abundance of gust energy which is challenging to harvest with conventional rotating wind turbines, such as the gusts generated by passing vehicles along roadsides. Addressing the irregular and low‐frequency characteristics of gusts, a bladeless wind turbine triboelectric nanogenerator (BWT‐TENG) with enhanced aerodynamic performance is proposed, enabling effective harvesting of random gust energy. First, a bladeless wind turbine with a cylindrical bluff body shape is designed, and its aerodynamic principles under gust‐driven conditions are elucidated through the computational fluid dynamics method. Subsequently, parameter optimization is conducted for the multilayered TENG. Systematic experiments demonstrated that the BWT‐TENG achieved a peak power density of 4.08 W m−3 driven by a gust of 10 m s−1, and can even operate at frequencies as low as 0.1 Hz. Finally, experiments showcased the BWT‐TENG powering a warning light in a simulated rainfall environment and harvesting gust energy from vehicles passing by real roadside to power wireless gyroscopic sensors, thereby achieving self‐powered structural health monitoring of roads or bridges. This work provides a novel strategy for utilizing TENGs in the harvest of environmental gust energy and demonstrates the vast potential of TENGs in the field of self‐powered structural health monitoring.

A numerical investigation on the vibration of a two-deck Euler–Bernoulli beam flooded by a potential flow

Abstract This work concerns the structural vibration of a bladeless wind turbine, modelled by a two-deck Euler–Bernoulli beam, due to a surrounding potential flow. The deflection is governed by the Euler–Bernoulli equation which is studied first by a linear theory and then computed numerically by a finite difference method in space with a collocation method over the arc length, and an implicit Euler method in time. The fluid motion in the presence of gravity is governed by the full Euler equations and solved by the time-dependent conformal mapping technique together with a pseudo-spectral method. Numerical experiments of excitation by a moving disturbance on the fluid surface with/without a stochastic noise are carried out. The random process involved in generating the noise on the water surface is driven by a Wiener Process. A Monte Carlo method is used for stochastic computations. The generated surface waves impinge on the beam causing structural vibration which is presented and discussed in detail. By elementary statistical analysis, the structural response subject to the stochastic hydrodynamic disturbance caused by white noise is found to be Gaussian.

Design Improvement of the Small-Scale Vortex-Induced Bladeless Wind Turbine Considering the Characteristic Length of the Oscillating Structure

Design Improvement of the Small-Scale Vortex-Induced Bladeless Wind Turbine Considering the Characteristic Length of the Oscillating Structure

Experimental and Numerical Study of Novel Vortex Bladeless Wind Turbine with an Economic Feasibility Analysis and Investigation of Environmental Benefits

This study combines experimental and numerical evaluations of Vortex Bladeless Wind Turbines (VBWTs) to understand their potential in renewable energy generation. The methodology employs Two-Way Fluid–Solid Interface (FSI) simulations, alongside real-world data, providing important insights into the turbine’s vibration dynamics and flow interactions during operation. Key findings include identifying optimal vibration frequencies and amplitudes that enhance energy harvesting and a clear advantage in power-generation estimations shown by one of the models used. The study reveals possible applications of VBWT in various settings like airport runways, highways, and buildings, indicating a promising avenue for incorporating such renewable-energy solutions. Discussions on the economic feasibility and environmental benefits of VBWT deployment are also presented, suggesting a need for further research and optimization in this area. A conceptual generator design and business model are introduced as part of a broader discussion on technology integration and energy storage. The research in this study encompasses experimental and numerical analysis, to achieve a broader understanding of the workings of a VBWT, realizing the feasibility of using such systems in lower-wind-speed conditions and upscaling to higher-wind-speed cases.

Optimum design and numerical modeling of a bladeless wind turbine

Optimum design and numerical modeling of a bladeless wind turbine

Analysis of Hybrid Windmill

Hybrid energy system with the combination of multiple energy generation process has gained much attention nowadays due to its reliability and increased flexibility. This study carried out is an analysis of a hybrid windmill with and without blades. The proposed model consists of two systems. The first system is a vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT) system. The second is a bladeless wind turbine or Vortex wind turbine system. Here the overall analysis helps to visualize the proposed model and eliminate the errors and mistakes like aeroelastic instability and aerodynamic resonance that exists in the previous models. The simulations and flux density diagrams of the systems is visualized to support the main study of the hybrid system. The flux density analysis and the structure design of permanent magnet was done using Ansys software. The structure design and CFD analysis for the two systems was done using Solidworks.

Numerical and Experimental Investigations of Bladeless Wind Turbine for Green Energy Applications

Green energy applications have been a promising research area last two decades.One of these applications is using the power of wind for electrical powergeneration; wind turbines with different designs have great importance in thisfield. However, capturing energy from wind by using traditional wind farms hasseveral limitations such as large installation space, specified airflow conditions,shading effect, noise, and design and maintenance complexity. Bladeless windturbines have been used to convert wind energy into useful kinetic energy toovercome these obstacles. This paper introduces numerical and experimentalinvestigations of a bladeless wind turbine for harvesting energy from wind. Theproposed design has a cylindrical structure to resonate at a wide range of windspeeds and directions, which can maximize the harvested energy. Eigenfrequency simulation modules were developed to determine the structure’s naturalfrequencies and mode shapes which aimed for continuous tunning with thegenerated vortex shed frequency

Study on the Influence of Counterweight on Widening the Energy Harvesting Range of Bladeless Wind Turbine

Study on the Influence of Counterweight on Widening the Energy Harvesting Range of Bladeless Wind Turbine

Modal and Static Analysis of Vortex Bladeless Wind Turbines with Different Geometries

The renewable energy industry has undergone remarkable growth in recent times, with wind energy assuming a preeminent role as a source of clean energy. Five distinctive geometries were analyzed, including a traditional circular form, a decagonal form, and three sinusoidal forms to evaluate the modal and structural characteristics of vortex bladeless wind turbines. The ANSYS software was employed to carry out both the modal and structural analysis. The vortex bladeless rod was firmly fixed and the mast was exposed to a wind pressure of 15 Pa during modal analysis. The structural analysis was executed to compute the deflection of the vortex bladeless wind turbine under the same wind pressure. The results demonstrated that the sinusoidal forms exhibited the greatest deflection at a wind speed of 5m/s. These findings possess the potential to optimize and augment the design of vortex bladeless wind turbines, provide guidance for future design decisions, and boost the efficiency and dependability of these wind turbines. It is therefore posited that the consideration of diverse geometries in the design of vortex bladeless wind turbines is of paramount importance, and the findings of this study are expected to be of great use to engineers and designers in the wind energy field, thereby catalyzing the progression of this thriving renewable energy source.

Design and Analysis of Bladeless Wind Turbine

The idea of bladeless windmills is based on the vortex shedding effect hypothesis. A wind-powered generator with the fewest moving elements is the vortex bladeless windmill. The oscillation or vibration caused by the wind is used to generate the electric current. As a result, piezoelectric material or a linear alternator are used to generate electricity. In this project effort, we attempted to increase the vortex-induced vibrations of the turbine built of Epoxy Carbon UD (230GPa) by altering the design of the mast and base. The maximum deflection is 0.22775m (condition 7) at 10 m/s2 acceleration.

Dynamic Modeling and Investigation of a Tunable Vortex Bladeless Wind Turbine

This paper investigates the dynamics of an electromagnetic vortex bladeless wind turbine (VBWT) with a tunable mechanism. The tunable mechanism comprises a progressive-rate spring that is attached to an oscillating magnet inside an electromagnetic coil. The spring stiffness is progressively adjusted as the wind speed changes to tune the turbine fundamental frequency to match the shedding frequency of the vortex-induced vibration (VIV) due to the wind flow crossing over the oscillating mast. Coupled nonlinear equations of motion of the tunable turbine are developed using the lumped-mass representation and Lagrange formulation. Numerical results show that the tunable turbine performs effectively beyond a threshold wind speed. An analytical expression of the threshold speed is derived based on the mechanical fundamental frequency of the turbine. The analytical results are in reasonable agreement with the numerical evaluations. At a given wind speed past the threshold, the tunable turbine has an optimum spring stiffness at which the output power is maximum. Numerical studies also show that the output power of the 2 m long tunable turbine is tens of times larger in comparison to a conventional bladeless turbine. For example, at a wind speed of 4.22 m/s, the output rms power of the tunable turbine is around 1105 mW versus 17 mW of the conventional VBWT. The power can be further maximized at an optimum external load. This research work demonstrated the feasibility and merits of the proposed tunable mechanism to enhance the overall performance of the bladeless wind turbine.

Development of A Small-Scale Vortex-Induced Wind Turbine

Over the last several years, there has been a significant and encouraging interest in the generation of power from wind. However, a massive wind turbine can only operate in a high wind speed condition. The vortex bladeless wind turbine is a completely new idea in wind turbines with a different mode of operation. It is designed to operate in low wind conditions, making it an ideal choice for areas with such conditions, such as Malaysia. This study aims to develop and evaluate a functional prototype of a vortex bladeless wind turbine that can be used to harvest wind energy in a low wind speed condition. A vortexbladeless wind turbine is fabricated based on existing research on the principle of the vortex shedding phenomenon. It is built in a cylindrical shape with an approximately 2 m height measuring from the base to the top of the mast and 0.2 m in diameter. The structure of a bladeless wind turbine is a flexible cylindrical mast over the setup that captures potential forms of energy from moving airstreams and uses a vortex induced vibration (VIV) mechanism to produce vibration in the structure. The testing wasdone by using a wind tunnel’s exhaust that produced 1 m/s to 10 m/s of air flow, which simulates a low-to-medium wind speed condition. The vibration is turned into electrical energy, using a power generating system like an electromagnetic induction mechanism. The analysis of the results is based on numerous data points gathered during the testing, including the frequency of oscillation, vortex shedding, natural frequency, and resonance parameter. Through the investigation, the results show that the phenomena of induced vibration were working at even critically low speeds, which starts at 3.3 m/s, where standard and conventional wind turbines may fail to produce the desired outcomes as they are outside of their operating windspeed. The frequency of vortex shedding increases with windspeed, from 0.94 Hz at 1 m/s to 9.39 Hz at 10 m/s. On this basis, it is confirmed that the prototype of the vortex bladeless wind turbine is working properly in harvesting wind energy, though several improvements need to be made.

Solar coupled Vortex Bladeless Wind Turbine system with BESS in rural electrification

In the future, the generation of electricity will be based on renewable energy source (RES). Due to natural calamities, the power generation from the wind and solar system is unstable. To maintain the system’s stability, the hybrid RES is preferred due to its efficient operation. Solar PV and conventional wind plants are costly, and they occupy more space. To overcome these problems, the wind energy conversion system (WECS) was used in the conventional system. Vortex Bladeless Wind Turbine (VBWT) is used in the place of WECS. In this work, VBWT is designed and incorporated with PV to provide uninterrupted power. Unlike conventional wind turbine, VBWT operates without blades. The cost of the system is 1/3rd of the conventional wind system. Also, the PV module is used with Maximum Power Point Tracking (MPPT) in each array on the system using PSO to operate efficiently. In this work, rural area electrification is considered and it is operated by combining the VBWT and the PV system.

Mode classification for vortex shedding from an oscillating wind turbine using machine learning

This study presents an effective strategy that applies machine learning methods to classify vortex shedding modes produced by the oscillating cylinder of a bladeless wind turbine. A 2-dimensional computational fluid dynamic (CFD) simulation using OpenFOAMv2006 was developed to simulate a bladeless wind turbines vortex shedding behavior. The simulations were conducted at two wake modes (2S, 2P) and a transition mode (2PO). The local flow measurements were recorded using four sensors: vorticity, flow speed, stream-wise and transverse stream-wise velocity components. The time-series data was transformed into the frequency domain to generate a reduced feature vector. A variety of supervised machine learning models were quantitatively compared based on classification accuracy. The best performing models were then reevaluated based on the effects of artificial noisy experimental data on the models’ performance. The velocity sensors orientated transverse to the pre-dominant flow (u y ) achieved improved testing accuracy of 15% compared to the next best sensor. The random forest and k-nearest neighbor models, using u y , achieved 99.3% and 99.8% classification accuracy, respectively. The feature noise analysis conducted reduced classification accuracy by 11.7% and 21.2% at the highest noise level for the respective models. The random forest algorithm trained using the transverse stream-wise component of the velocity vector provided the best balance of testing accuracy and robustness to data corruption. The results highlight the proposed methods’ ability to accurately identify vortex structures in the wake of an oscillating cylinder using feature extraction.

Power generation with the application of vortex wind turbine

Over the past few years in the generation of electricity from wind in new technological approaches, the generation of electricity from wind has been strong and positive interest which is able to be profitable at small scale. Vortex wind turbine could be also defined as to grow in advance, a totally new concept of wind turbine with different or traditional way which means without blades. In the bladeless wind turbine (BWT), there structure is a flexible cylindrical structure over the set up that extracts possible form of energy from moving airstream and utilizing such type of vortex induced vibration (VIV) method to induce the vibration in the structure. It is not only aerodynamic type of forces which could results in structural vibration during operation. The VIV method in which a blades are eliminated in such a way that structure will be having a long cylinder which is arranged on a flexible structure and placed in open environment where there will be moving air at certain velocity ‘air flow field’. The vibration is converted into electrical energy and the electrical energy utilizing a power unit, which is a power generation system i.e., piezoelectric generator arrangement. The result analysis is based on flow induced vibration which is characterized by poor conversion efficiency. The system is consider to be portable for experimentation hence the manufacturing parts is used as light in weight such as sheet, coil, piezoelectric arrangement and etc. It results in low investment and manufacturing cost. Experimental result and analytical data with appropriate conclusion is presented herewith through the present investigation. Results are highlighted based on the phenomenon of induced vibration at even critically low wind speed where traditional and conventional wind turbines may not yield required results.

Predicting the Parameters of Vortex Bladeless Wind Turbine Using Deep Learning Method of Long Short-Term Memory

From conventional turbines to cutting-edge bladeless turbines, energy harvesting from wind has been well explored by researchers for more than a century. The vortex bladeless wind turbine (VBT) is considered an advanced design that alternatively harvests energy from oscillation. This research investigates enhancing the output electrical power of VBT through simulation of the fluid–solid interactions (FSI), leading to a comprehensive dataset for predicting procedure and optimal design. Hence, the long short-term memory (LSTM) method, due to its time-series prediction accuracy, is proposed to model the power of VBT from the collected data. To find the relationship between the parameters and the variables used in this research, a correlation matrix is further presented. According to the value of 0.3 for the root mean square error (RMSE), a comparative analysis between the simulation results and their predictions indicates that the LSTM method is suitable for modeling. Furthermore, the LSTM method has significantly reduced the computation time so that the prediction time of desired values has been reduced from an average of two and a half hours to two minutes. In addition, one of the most important achievements of this study is to suggest a mathematical relation of output power, which helps to extend it in different sizes of VBT with a high range of parameter variations.

A state-of-art review on Bladeless Wind Turbine

As a result of continuous depletion of non-renewable energy sources, new methods of harvesting energy are being developed. A unique way of harvesting wind energy, namely Bladeless Wind Turbine (BWT) is discussed in this paper. It differs from conventional turbine by harvesting energy through Vortex Induced Vibration (VIV) which is safe and quiet in operation. It has no bearings, gears or any rotating device hence it has low maintenance cost and high life. The scope of BWT as the renewable energy source varies from offshore to wind farms considering the availability of high intensity winds. BWT is a trio of diverse engineering branches: Electrical Engineering, Fluid Dynamics and Mechanics of Solids that often makes it nonlinear as well as complex. This article includes a basis for vortex-induced vibrations, dynamic modelling, components of BWT and energy harvesting unit. Optimum shape to harvest the energy is outlined in combination with mathematical model of the turbine. Various modes to harness vibrational energy, including different orientations and surface extensions, to widen the operating range and increase performance are covered in the review. This paper is a complete outline of BWT which shows the advancement of technology from VIV to commercially available products.

The effect of drag force on the body frequencies and the power spectrum of a bladeless wind turbine

New types of bladeless wind turbines and electricity generation are currently one of the most interesting topics in engineering. Electricity generation using structural vibration due to the resonance phenomenon is the concept behind a vortex bladeless turbine. The present study numerically investigated the effects of the drag force on the body frequency of an oscillating bladeless wind turbine. A two-dimensional numerical simulation was performed for a cylinder with a semi-circular cross-flow cross-section in two different cases. This research was conducted for both uncontrolled and controlled oscillating cylinders. The controlling process was performed using a pair of ring magnets as springs with a variable coefficient. The flow field, vibration, vortex shedding, structural frequencies, and resonance phenomena were studied in this research. Finally, the controlled and uncontrolled frequencies of the cylinder are explored, and the power spectra for various velocities are analyzed in two different states, namely, with and without a tuning system. From the results, it can be concluded that the usage of the controlling system in these turbines can significantly regulate the oscillations and increase the frequency value by limiting the vibration amplitude. According to this principle, it can be inferred that increasing the frequency of fluctuations greatly increases the production capacity of these turbines.