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

Ahmad Fazlizan, Wen Tong Chong, Sook Yee Yip, Wooi Ping Hew and Sin Chew Poh
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Ahmad Fazlizan: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Wen Tong Chong: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Sook Yee Yip: UM Power Energy Dedicated Advanced Centre, University of Malaya, Level 4, Wisma R&D, Jalan Pantai Baharu, 59990 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Wooi Ping Hew: UM Power Energy Dedicated Advanced Centre, University of Malaya, Level 4, Wisma R&D, Jalan Pantai Baharu, 59990 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Sin Chew Poh: Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Energies, 2015, vol. 8, issue 7, 1-19

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.

Keywords: building integrated wind turbine; exhaust air system; energy savings; clean energy; urban wind energy (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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