Deployment of wind turbine in between cement silos for small power generation

Abstract

This study provides an overview of Building-Integrated Wind Turbines, focusing on cement silos as wind concentrators, along with determining the amount of power that could be connected without regard to wind direction. The motivation of this research is the intermittency issue of wind stream in an open environment and non-exploration of wind turbines between cement silos. Building-Augmented Wind Turbines provide 717 W of aerodynamic power at 16 m/s, whereas Standalone Wind Turbines produce 562 W. This is due to the wind speed acceleration between buildings, which causes a concentration effect. Meanwhile, using the simulation software ANSYS, the turbine geometry is developed utilising a Computational Fluid Dynamics evaluation.

KEYWORDS:

• Utilisation of wind energy
• concentration effect
• building augmented wind turbine
• computational fluid dynamics
• power augmentation factor

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank Mr. H. A. Shabhai, Senior General Manager, JK Lakshmi Cements Ltd., Village Dastan, Taluka Palsana, District Surat, Gujarat for continuing support.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Authors’ contributions

Ms. Priya Tandel and Mr. Akash Patel conceived the idea, developed the model and carried out the simulations and experiments. The interpretation of the results was given by Dr. Akhilesh Nimje and Ms. Priya Tandel. All the authors provided significant feedback and support to shape the work, the results and the overall manuscript.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Akhilesh A. Nimje

Dr. Akhilesh A. Nimje obtained Diploma in Electrical Engineering in 1994 from Board of Technical Examinations Mumbai. He obtained his Bachelor’s degree in Electronics & Power Engineering in 1997 from Nagpur University and M. Tech in Electrical Power Systems in 2002 from Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur. He completed his PhD in Electrical Engineering in December 2011. After completion of M.Tech., he joined as lecturer in Electrical Engineering at KIIT University, Bhubaneswar, in 2002. He has also served as Associate Professor in G. H. Raisoni College of Engineering (Autonomous), Nagpur and in Guru Nanak Institute of Technology, Nagpur. Presently, he is employed as Associate Professor in Department of Electrical Engineering, Institute of Technology, Nirma University, Ahmedabad. His areas of interests include Rural Electrification, FACTS, Power System Analysis, Distributed Generations and Renewable Energy Sources. He is a Life Member of ISTE, SESI and ISCA.

Priya Tandel

Ms. Priya Tandel obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering from Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Technical Education and Research Centre, Navsari, Surat, Gujarat Technological University in 2017. She completed her M.Tech. in Electrical Power Systems from Institute of Technology, Nirma University, Ahmedabad in 2019. She has worked on the performance evaluation of building augmented wind turbine at JK Lakshmi Cement Ltd, Surat as a project trainee for her M. Tech. project.

Aakesh Patel

Mr. Akesh Patel is a Mechanical Engineer at JK Lakshmi Cement Ltd. Surat. He is a part of this research work and helpful to develop the building augmented wind turbine at the company premises to take a step towards renewable energy.