Thesis
Performance investigation and enhancement of a novel oscillating foil based building integrated wind energy harvesting system
- Creator
- Rights statement
- Awarding institution
- University of Strathclyde
- Date of award
- 2024
- Thesis identifier
- T17075
- Person Identifier (Local)
- 201993067
- Qualification Level
- Qualification Name
- Department, School or Faculty
- Abstract
- Integrating renewable energy into buildings enhances efficiency and reduces carbon footprints. Micro-wind turbines are promising but face challenges in low and turbulent wind conditions, especially in urban areas. Wind-induced vibration energy harvesters offer a solution. They enhance energy capture, reduce structural stress, and improve reliability by utilising wind-induced vibrations. This thesis aims to investigate the feasibility and performance of integrating oscillating aerofoils into building structures for wind energy harvesting, addressing these challenges. The study introduces a novel building-integrated wind energy harvesting system comprising oscillating aerofoil and building roof structure. The study focuses on investigating the dynamic behaviour of oscillating aerofoil integration. Utilising Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and a one-degree-of-freedom solver, it assesses the performance of an oscillating NACA 0012 aerofoil integrated into building roofs, serving as an alternative to traditional wind turbines. Validation of the CFD results was performed by comparing them with experimental data and previously published CFD studies. Comparisons were made for two scenarios: analysing the frequency of an oscillating aerofoil under pitch motion and examining airflow distribution within an atmospheric boundary layer velocity profile from a wind tunnel experiment detailed in the literature. The results demonstrate that the optimal placement of oscillating aerofoils is crucial for maximising power output. For pitched and curved roof structures, the aerofoil should be positioned at the ridge or central mid-area with a spacing of 600 mm from the roof surface. On flat roofs, the edge on the windward side with at least 1000 mm spacing provides the highest mechanical power output. Moreover, the study shows that higher wind speeds correlate with increased mechanical power output that reaches 12 viii W at 9 m/s. However, the mechanical power output diminishes with changes in wind direction. Results also showed that the oscillating aerofoil integrated into a curved roof design yields the highest power output, with a significant increase of approximately 58% compared to a pitched roof. In addition, a comparative analysis between NACA 0012 and SD7003 aerofoils integrated into roof buildings showed different results. The NACA 0012 aerofoil integrated into the curved roof achieved the highest mechanical power output, while the SD7003 aerofoil integrated into the pitched roof achieved a high mechanical power output. The investigation highlights the critical role of aerofoil and roof shape configuration and installation parameters in influencing system performance, providing practical insights for optimisation. Lastly, the aerofoil with a support arm achieved the highest power with 45 W output among the configurations, which is due to its high displacement and low frequency. Advancing the study of building-integrated wind energy systems necessitates standardised experimental protocols and cross-disciplinary collaboration to enhance study comparability and system performance understanding. Future research should address sensitivity analyses of spring constants, the influence of adjacent structures, and the impact of turbulence and vortices. In addition, investigating various environmental case studies, implementing ducts for improved wind capture, and exploring aerofoil motion in both pitch and heave degrees of freedom will provide comprehensive insights. Lastly, focusing on transducers, power management, and energy storage will be crucial for developing efficient and sustainable self-charging power units.
- Advisor / supervisor
- Johnstone, Cameron
- Resource Type
- DOI
- Funder
Relazioni
Articoli
| Thumbnail | Titolo | Data caricata | Visibilità | Azioni |
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PDF of thesis T17075 | 2024-10-11 | Pubblico | Scaricare |
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Video_1_-_Flat_roof.mp4 | 2024-12-06 | Pubblico | Scaricare |
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Video_2_-_Pitched_roof.mp4 | 2024-12-06 | Pubblico | Scaricare |
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Video_3_-_Curved_roof.mp4 | 2024-12-06 | Pubblico | Scaricare |