J Appropr Technol > Volume 10(3); 2024 > Article
Lim, Lim, Vilanculo, Kang, and Ahn: A Bladeless Wind Generator with Deployable Boom

Abstract

Energy is the key factor for improving the quality of life and it serves as the backbone of various sectors including health, sanitation, education and many other sectors related to human development. As the demand for energy increases in the cities, there is still scarcity of energy specially in remote villages, refugee camps and other disaster-stricken regions. The biggest problem with current Conventional Renewable energy sources such as wind and solar is limitation in terms of portability and high susceptibility to weather conditions. To address these issues, in this paper we introduce a Deployable Bladeless Wind Power Generator (DBWPG), this is a compact size portable wind generator whose boom can be deployed to different heights and thus respond to the various weather conditions. We developed a device that uses the vibrations induced on its boom due to the vortex shedding causes by wind flow, to produce electricity. The device is easy to care and easy to deploy to different heights when needed. With this innovation we aim to introduce a low cost, low maintenance, environmentally clean and easy to operate wind power source that can be benefit residents of rural areas, NGOs and other relief organizations.

Introduction

Access to reliable energy is one of the crucial issues for improving the quality of life, particularly in health, sanitation, and education. Developed countries provide stable energy supplies regardless of external changes. However, in isolated or remote regions, refugee camps affected by natural disasters or conflicts, accessing stable energy remains a significant challenge. The absence of dependable energy in these areas can greatly hinder the provision of medical services, educational opportunities, and the overall well-being of communities. The United Nations emphasizes that sustainable energy goes beyond simply providing electricity; it encompasses the delivery of improved healthcare, education, and economic development opportunities.

1. Scenario of Conventional Renewable Energy Solutions

Conventional renewable energy solutions such as solar panels and wind turbines, widely adopted, have limitations for particular conditions. Solar panels, need ample space for installation and rely heavily on sunlight, which makes them less efficient during cloudy or rainy weather. Additionally, their bulky design makes them less suitable for mobile or transient environments. In an effort to address these portability issues, there have been recent advancements in foldable and rollable solar panels. However, these innovations are still vulnerable to weather fluctuations and may not be entirely convenient for all settings.
Wind energy systems, particularly traditional wind turbines, offer a more consistent energy output since they can operate under a wider range of weather conditions. However, their size and the need for extensive infrastructure, including large blades and tall towers, make them impractical for portable applications . Additionally, traditional wind turbines pose safety risks and require significant maintenance, which is a challenge in remote and resource-limited settings .

2. Research Goals

To address these obstacles, this study examines the advancement of a mobile bladeless wind power generator. The proposed system combines a flexible mechanism with bladeless vortex wind power technology, with the goal of creating a portable and effective energy solution that can be rapidly deployed and stored in a compact manner. The bladeless design not only decreases the physical space required but also enhances safety and simplifies maintenance. Vortices are created when fluid flows around a body and due to their different velocities, a rotating flow is generated (Figure 1). Vortex shedding is the dissociation of these regions of rotating flow, and it is the underlying principle of bladeless wind turbines, involves the oscillations caused by wind passing by a cylindrical structure, which are then converted into electricity. This approach has been proven to decrease mechanical complexity and extend the lifespan of the device compared to conventional bladed turbines.
The wind generator’s deployable mechanism draws inspiration from technologies utilized in different engineering sectors. This mechanism enables the generator to be stored in a compact manner when not in use and easily deployed to harness wind energy whenever required. This innovative approach proves particularly advantageous in environments where mobility is crucial, such as refugee camps or areas affected by disasters, where infrastructure may be lacking or constantly changing. The system’s portability and effortless deployment make it an ideal solution for non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and relief operations that seek reliable and rapidly deployable energy solutions.
Moreover, the proposed bladeless wind power generator addresses several critical issues associated with traditional energy systems. By eliminating large blades, the design minimizes the risk to wildlife and reduces noise pollution, which is often a concern in populated or sensitive areas . The simplicity of the design also means fewer moving parts, which translates to lower maintenance requirements and costs over the system’s lifespan.
The purpose of this paper is to make a valuable contribution to the expanding field of renewable energy solutions. It does so by offering a comprehensive examination of the bladeless wind power generator that can be easily deployed. This innovative system combines the principles of vortex shedding with inventive mechanisms for rolling out, resulting in a practical solution for addressing the urgent demand for portable and dependable energy in isolated and temporary locations. The ultimate objective is to meet the energy requirements in mobile and remote environments, ensuring a consistent power source for essential tasks and ultimately improving the quality of life for individuals residing in these regions.
In this research, our aim is to show the feasibility of developing renewable energy systems that not only exhibit efficiency and dependability, but are also incredibly lightweight and flexible for use in diverse and demanding conditions. This objective is aligned with the global aspirations for sustainability and emphasizes the capacity of inventive engineering solutions to have a tangible impact on the lives of those who require it the most.

Literature Review

Wind energy systems, particularly traditional wind turbines, offer a more consistent energy output as they can operate under various weather conditions. However, their size and the need for extensive infrastructure make them impractical for portable applications. Bladeless wind turbines, utilizing the phenomenon of vortex shedding, have emerged as a promising alternative. Research indicates that these systems can generate electricity without the large blades typical of conventional turbines, thereby reducing their footprint and enhancing safety and maintenance simplicity [1].
In particular, the study by S. Francis, V. Umesh, S. Shivkumar et al. (2021) highlights the significant potential of vortex bladeless turbines in harnessing wind energy through vortex-induced vibrations. This method involves a cylinder fixed vertically on an elastic rod, oscillating due to the vortex shedding effect when wind passes around it. This oscillatory motion is then converted into electricity via an alternator and tuning system. This innovative approach not only addresses the limitations of traditional wind turbines but also offers a compact and efficient solution for wind energy generation [2]
El-Shahat, M. Hasan and Yan Wu et al. (2021) explore the use of vortex bladeless wind generators in nano-grids. Their research focuses on the potential of these generators to provide reliable power in small-scale applications. They emphasize the benefits of using a hollow, conical-shaped bluff body to induce vortex shedding, which creates vibrations that are converted into electrical energy. This study highlights the advantages of bladeless turbines in reducing friction losses, maintenance costs, and environmental impacts associated with traditional wind turbines [3].
Further supporting the potential of bladeless wind turbines, A.M. Elsayed, M.B. Farghaly et al. (2022) conducted a theoretical and numerical analysis of these systems. Their research presents a comprehensive mathematical model to analyze the performance of vortex bladeless wind turbines (VBWT). They used SolidWorks and ANSYS software to calculate the physical properties and forces affecting the VBWT. Their findings indicate that VBWTs can be practically applied in low-wind-speed environments, offering benefits such as reduced space requirements and lower maintenance costs [4].
A preliminary study by C.K. Samy, H.B. Ahmadi, Y.A. Atfah et al. (2023) also explored the design of portable vortex bladeless wind turbines, emphasizing their environmental friendliness and suitability for residential areas. The study highlighted the advantages of VBWTs, such as their ability to operate without mechanical parts like gears and bearings, which reduces maintenance needs and costs. The research identified that VBWTs could achieve significant energy generation through vortex-induced vibrations while maintaining portability and ease of installation [5].
Additionally, the study by M.D. Manshadi, M. Ghassemi, S.M. Mousavi et al. (2021) investigated enhancing the output electrical power of VBWT through simulation of fluid-solid interactions (FSI). They utilized a deep learning method, Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM), to model the power of VBWT from collected data. Their findings demonstrate that the LSTM method significantly reduces computation time and accurately predicts the output power, thus aiding in the optimal design of VBWT [6].
Despite these advancements, existing bladeless vortex turbines still face challenges in terms of portability and ease of deployment. To address these challenges, this paper proposes the integration of a rollable mechanism with the bladeless vortex wind power technology. The rollable structure allows the wind generator to be compactly stored when not in use and quickly deployed to harness wind energy as needed. This enhancement significantly improves the portability of the system, making it particularly beneficial for environments where mobility is essential, such as refugee camps or disaster-stricken areas where infrastructure is either lacking or frequently changing.
The proposed system's design and analysis draw from the findings of several studies on bladeless wind turbines. For example, the performance of different materials and dimensions for the mast, as well as various performance parameters like displacement and frequency, have been thoroughly compared in previous research. These studies have shown that materials like glass fiber and carbon fiber offer different advantages in terms of deflection and frequency response, with glass fiber being identified as a superior material due to its higher amplitude of oscillation.
By combining the principles of vortex shedding with innovative rollable deployment mechanisms, this paper aims to provide a practical solution to the pressing need for portable and reliable energy in remote and transient settings. The ultimate goal is to support energy needs in mobile and remote environments, providing a consistent power supply for essential activities, thereby enhancing the quality of life for people in those regions.

Methodology

The design of the DBWPG was around portability, ease of use and fast deployment. Our prototype consisted on 5 main components: Boom, Shapers, Roller Mechanism, Base and Linear Energy Generator. The construction details varied from the initial prototype (Figure 2) to the final prototype, this changes mainly affected the generator and resulted in large gains in performance through generator design optimization. The prototype 1 (Figure 2) consisted of a cylindrical generator mounted at the top of the base. The generator comprised of hollow cylindrical inner shaper with rectangular slots for housing rectangular magnets arranged radially around the inner shaper. The inner shaper provides a tight fit with the boom when deployed, thus ensuring it takes the cylindrical shape. The inner shaper goes inside the hollow outer shaper, occupying the center of the outer shaper and seating on bottom mounted stops of the outer shaper which prevent the inner shaper to move downwards (Figure 3). A radial clearance is provided between the inner shaper and the outer shaper, thus allowing relative motion vertically, horizontally and rotational around the vertical axis.
The outer shaper receives the copper coil and is wound up to N number of turns. The output capacity of this design was limited by the thickness of the winding, such that, larger the number of turns, the outer layers of the coil would not be affected by the magnetic field generated by the oscillating magnets on the inner shaper. Furthermore, by reducing the number of turns, the capacity of the generator is also reduced. It was also observed that rapidly moving the inner shaper vertically in and out of the outer shaper resulted in much higher output as compared to the designed operational configuration. This method of vertical motion of inner shaper is not suitable for conversion of horizontal vibrations into electricity and interferes with the deployability of the boom.
The final prototype addressed the afore mentioned limitations by employing an octagonal generator design while retaining the overall construction layout (Figure 4). The octagonal generator mounted on top of the base consisted of 8 individual coils equally spaced around the inner periphery of the outer shaper. The inner shaper was modified to consist of horizontal slots for the magnets equally spaced around the octagonal outer surface of the inner shaper. This design choice limited the tendency of the inner shaper to rotate about the vertical axis and thus ensuring that horizontal oscillations would always result in variations of the magnetic field on the 8 coils (Figure 8). Since there is no gap between the inner shaper and boom, all oscillations on the boom resulting in magnetic field variation around the coils, and in any oscillation, at least one coil will be subjected to change in magnetic field. The roller, cage and handle were modified to reduce weight, complexity and friction, this simplification approach further reduced the deployment complexity.

1. Boom

1) Design Requirements:

Flexibility and Stiffness: The boom should strike the balance between not being too stiff nor too flexible;
Deployment Height: we targeted a maximum deployment height of 1 meter, this is decided considering the material properties and the local weather conditions;
Durability: The boom must withstand adverse environmental conditions;
Affordability and Aesthetics: The materials and the design should be cost-effective and visually appealing.
J. Block, M. Straubel, M. Wiedemann et al. (2010) presented a deployable ultralight boom for solar sails and other aerospace applications, the boom was made of Carbon Fiber Reinforced Polymer with rolling deployment and stowage. The use of two inverted Omega shape half shells yielded a relatively stable three-dimensional structure with superior weight/stiffness ratio and they were able to transition from flat to quasi-circular cross section during deployment with relatively superior deployment behavior [7].
The boom is intended to have two modes of actuation, it should be deployed to a desired height (maximum 1 meter for our prototype) which can be adjusted manually, while at the same time being flexible enough to be retracted into the base of the Generator, thus making the Generators highly portable and compact. It is necessary that the boom is able to maintain cylindrical shape when deployed (thus inducing vortices regardless of the wind direction), able to have varied heights to compensate for adverse weather conditions. Therefore, the boom was made of two thin sheets of Polyethylene terephthalate (PET) taped together on the longitudinal extremities (Figure 5). This arrangement is such that the boom can behave as a straight sheet as well as a cylinder when needed. The two rectangular sheets measured 157 mm × 1000 mm, the sheets were aligned and taped together along their length forming a stack, when compressed by forces normal to the length applied along the taped seams they form a cylinder with diameter D = 100 mm, which matches the diameter of the Inner and Tip Shapers.
When the boom is in flat configuration, it is relatively weak in stiffness and thus it can be easily rolled, however when the sheets are arranged in cylindrical configuration, there are relatively stiffer and hard to bend, the curvature of the sheets forms a structural lock. In this configuration, disturbances caused by wind don’t deflect nor bend the boom, instead, the boom is able to transfer those loads to the roller mechanism. The lower end of the boom is kept flat while the upper end is ketch in circular section through the tip shaper. PET material was chosen for the boom by virtue of its strength and recyclability, hence constituting an environmentally sustainable material.

2. Roller Mechanism

The rollers mechanism comprises of three main elements: an Inner Cylindrical core, an Outer Casing and Handle. The end of the boom is fixed on the inner core, this flat stack of sheets is firmly secured around the outer periphery of the inner core. The core is mounted inside a casing which is concentric to the core, the gap between the inner core and the casing is small enough to prevent buckling but not small enough such that frictional forces affect performance of the boom deployment (Figure 6).
A handle couples to the core and thus allowing the user to rotate the inner core. As the handle rotates, it causes the inner core to rotate, this rotation causes the boom to be wound around the inner core. The cage has a flat type inlet/outlet port which causes the boom to transition from cylindrical (stiffer configuration) into flat configuration, which easily winds around the inner core. This mechanism is used to drive the boom in the thin sheet configuration in and out, their rotational motion is converted into the booms longitudinal motion, which allows the height of the boom to be easily adjusted by means of the handle. These parts were 3D printed in Polylactic Acid (PLA) using Fused Deposition Modeling (FDM).

1) Design Challenges

Large gap between inner core and cage: these issues resulted in buckling of the boom within the enclosure which heavily affected its performance (Figure 6);
Buckling and bending: This resulted from abrupt features on the inner core as well as a large outlet gap, and thus heavily affected the performance of the equipment.
Small vibration amplitude: occur when the gap between the inner and outer shaper is very small, resulting in the boom not vibrating. Since the vibration are transferred and damped by the base.
Excessive friction and misalignment: during deployment boom axis (z’-axis) and shaper axis (z-axis) are not coaxial, this results in excessive friction and buckling (Figure 6).

2) Design optimizations

Streamlined Inner Core: By streamlining interface between the boom and the inner core, i.e. the boom is fixed on the inner core in a curved slot, buckling and rolling performance improved significantly (Figure 7).
Reduction of Gaps: Outlet and core to cage gap were removed to allow better conformability of the boom. These modifications (Figure 7) improved significantly the performance of the device.
Align shaper axis with housing outlet: This was done to prevent the boom from extending at an angle.

3. Shapers

Shapers are made of PLA and are used to shape the flat beam such that it transitions to cylindrical shape. We designed mainly three shapers:
Tip shaper - It is mounted at the top of the boom and it locks the end of the boom in cylindrical shape as well as it closes the open end of the boom, ensuring that it is kept always cylindrical and foreign objects do not enter the system;
Inner shaper - It is responsible for housing the magnets and transitioning the beam from flat to cylindrical shape. It is also responsible for transmitting the vibrations induced on the boom into electricity within the generator.
Outer Shaper - It is the housing of the Generator Assembly and it contains the coil windings which are excited by the movement of the inner shaper.
Coil poles are used to receive the 0.3mm enameled copper wire and are mounted perpendicular to the flat walls of the outer shaper. An inner Lock Cover prevents the magnets from moving out of the slots of the inner shaper during vibrations.

4. Base

The Base is the main support structure and housing of all the parts of the DBWPG, our prototype was made of Clear Acrylic. It supports the Shapers and the Generators. It is designed to be in the smallest functional form factor and thus easy to transport. The Base can be directly mounted on the ground or bolted to the ground (for regions with very strong winds).

5. Generator

We developed a generator to harness the vibration energy of the boom and convert it into electrical energy. The generator is mainly composed of the windings, magnets, inner and outer shapers (Figure 8). The windings are removable, and designed to easily facilitate the winding process with locally available small rotary tools, for example a hand drill. The inner shaper has slots vertical slots in which Neodymium magnets are horizontally mounted around its outer circular periphery. The number of magnets is equal to number of coil windings (8). The outer shaper is fixed to the base, thus with it, also the windings. When the boom vibrates, it causes the inner shaper to move (vibrate) inside the outer shaper. Inner shaper is capable of moving up to 12.5 mm (6.25 mm in each direction from center) in any direction within the outer shaper. As the magnets in the inner shaper move relative to the coils in the outer shaper, this induces changes in the magnetic field, which in turn induces electromotive force (EMF) as per Faraday’s Law
V=NΔ(BA)Δt)
Where V is the generated voltage, N number of turns A area of coil, B external magnetic field, the term BA represents the magnetic flux Φ and the ‘-’ sign follows from the Lenz’s Law according to which an induced EMF will cause a current to flow in a close circuit in such a direction that its magnetic effect will oppose the change that produce it. The windings have same number of turns N and the axis of each coil is normal to the surface of the magnet. At the initial state, when the boom is deployed, the distance between each coil and the respective magnet is the same, in this condition there is no change in the magnetic flux (Φ=0), therefore, no EMF is generated. D.J.Y. Villarreal et al. notes that when the wind flows past a cylindrical mast in any direction it induces vortices that cause oscillations with frequency f=StvΦ, where f is the frequency (Hz) of the vortex shedding, St constant of proportionality between the velocity of the incident wind flow v, the inverse of its characteristic length Ø and f [8]. These oscillations cause the relative distance between the magnets and the coils to change, and thus inducing a change in the magnetic field in each winding, therefore EMF is generated.
In order to maximize the variations of the magnetic field, the axis of the coil windings and the magnetic field of the magnets are aligned as shown in Figure 9. The current induced in the windings may have different polarities, this is also a function of the orientation of the magnets, thus, the orientation of the magnets was carefully studied and selected, for visualization purposes, directly opposite windings were connected accordingly, such that the output do not cancel each other, and therefore from 8 output phases we reduced to 4 relatively more stable output phases. Any two opposed coils will experience change of magnetic field in opposite direction with opposite magnitude. In this configuration, during any moment in the operation, the voltage output will be maximum in 1 phase whilst with different magnitude in other phases. Therefore, during any motion of the boom, all coils will experience some change in magnetic flux with varying magnitude and induce an emf. To improve visualization, we experimentally measured the voltage required to turn on a LED to be 2V at 20mA and from LED datasheet to be 1.85V [9] and connected 4 LEDs to the 4 phases. In this configuration the brightness of the LEDs is a gradient in which the maximum brightness is from the LED connected to the phase with the highest instantaneous energy, and the directly adjacent phases will be slightly dimmer.

1) Design Challenges

Easy of Assembly: 2 prototypes failed due to impractical assembly
Magnetic Field Interaction: The orientation and degree of variation of the magnetic field at the magnets has very significant effect on the final output voltage, due to non-consideration of these factors 3 prototypes were unsuccessful, only produce very low output voltage (~0.284V peak).

2) Optimization

− Magnetic field orientation and play distance between the inner shaper and the outer shaper were optimized such that the output was greatly increased;
− The number of windings (8), number of turns (N) and the cross-sectional area of the coils were optimized to enhance the overall energy conversion performance;

Working Principle

During the packaging state, the boom is coiled around the casing inside the base through the removable handle (Figure 10.b). The shapers and rollers cause the boom to transition from cylinder to flat, resulting in loss of boom stiffness and thus facilitates the stowage of the boom. When the boom is deployed to a height H, the exposed surface part takes a cylindrical shaper. When air flows perpendicular to this tall slender structure vortices are created on the opposite end of the boom (Figure 2). The induced vortices cause vibrations along the boom, these vibrations are transferred to the generator mounted on the base. The amplitude (A) of the vibrations varies with the deployment height (H), so as the stresses induced at the beam. Since windspeed changes with height [10], the height H is set according to the wind speed of the region that no buckling of the boom takes place as result of large exposed surface area. The oscillations of the boom are transferred to the inner shaper, thus causing the relative distance between magnets and coils to change. The generator generates instantaneous voltage at each coil, the coil with maximum voltage depends on the direction of the wind flow. In this design, the Amplitude of the vibrations is directly proportional to the deployment height H. For strong wind flows H is kept low to reduce the loads on the boom surface, and for slower wind velocities H is increased to increase the contact surface area of the boom.

Experimental Procedure

Voltage required to power an LED was determined and 4 LEDs were connected to the output of the coils (figure 11), the boom was deployed to maximum height (H = 1 meter). Manually air was displaced against the boom and oscillations were observed, the brightness intensity of the LEDs to be the highest on those mounted on the direction of the wind flow. Under these conditions, the peak voltage readings ranged from 0.38V to 1.04V with an exception of 1.4V, which was sufficient to dimly turn on 1 LED. Testing was also carried out by applying forced mechanical vibrations to the prototype thus yielding higher peak readings and all 4 LEDs to light up at different intensities. Higher frequencies kept the LEDs on for longer whilst higher amplitudes showed relatively higher brightness levels

Results and Discussion

With the final prototype we were able to successfully generate electricity and turn ON 4 LEDs, this indicated a good performance on the generator and allowed to evaluate the performance of each coil winding. The deployable boom effectively oscillated under wind flow, and the designed linear transformer converted these oscillations into electrical energy.
The rolling mechanism performed satisfactory for the deployment of the boom. The modifications made to the roller design, such as reducing the internal space and optimizing the outlet gap, significantly improved the deployment efficiency. However, the prototype present limitations to its performance, the interface between PLA and PTE and shaper induced frictional forces affecting the deployment; Further optimization of the material and roller design is necessary to achieve a much smoother and repeatable deployment.
The PET films used for the boom provided the necessary balance between flexibility and stiffness. The glass fiber material enhanced the oscillation amplitude, contributing to higher energy conversion efficiency. While elastomer-based booms offer greater flexibility and relatively higher stiffness challenges regarding cyclic exposure to environmental conditions limit its longevity. Further research aiming to use of pre-formed elastic metal strip as a replacement for the current boom design is undertaken, these present superior stiffness and flexibility for the shape transition, however the cyclic exposure to humidity, heat, oxidative attacks and UV exposure constitute a major challenge for the longevity of the material [11-12]. While the PET boom demonstrated sufficient rigidity to transmit vibrations effectively, some buckling was observed on the boom, especially near the taped seams when increasing airflow and/or oscillation amplitude. Further work on material optimization is needed.
Several challenges were encountered during the development process. Initial prototypes faced issues with excessive bending and improper magnetic field alignment. These issues were addressed through iterative design modifications. Due to the small deployment height of the prototype, and thus the total surface area in contact with the wind is small and less sensitive, and at the relatively low wind speed locally (4.6~6 mph) [13], device did not experience strong natural wind capable of generating electricity. Although detailed FEA and more testing on the boom were not conducted, manual shaking tests indicated that the boom had sufficient stiffness to transmit vibrations.
It was observed that the LED powered up successfully, indicating adequate power output. For the prototype, fluctuations on the current output are result of the variations on the vibration direction, this is accentuated because of the lack of a rectifying circuit to combine the energy of every pole and rectified it to DC. In the view of these limitations, the prototype best suits energy harvesting, such that through incorporation of energy storage devices and rectifying circuit, the stored the energy generate over a period of time can be applied for a later use. To further enhance portability, in addition to handles, straps will be integrated for the future iterations. These features would make the generator easier to transport and deploy in various environments.

Conclusion

We were able to produce a functional prototype of a Deployable Portable Bladeless Wind Generator using the principles of Appropriate Technology. The final prototype has shown significant performance at this iteration, with potential to further improvements through various optimization. This sheds a promising light into development of low-cost wind Generators with increased simplicity, portability and very low cost, which important factors in low income communities. This reduction in design complexity (elimination of blades and use of popular materials) makes the production of these products scalable and, more importantly, reduces level of specialized production, thus providing a bigger impact to the community. It is also important to mention that this product is environmentally friendly and sustainable for a small circular economy. A network of such systems could have the potential to power various residences, remote areas, and to be used by medical and emergency assistance personnel and provide significantly more stable electricity with very low effects from the weather on its performance.

Acknowledgments

The authors thank Semin Ahn and Sungjin Hong, researchers at the Innovative Design and Integrated Manufacturing Laboratory at Seoul National University, who were teaching assistants in the course Design for Manufacturing for their cooperation. This work was funded by Seoul National University Global Social Contribution Group and was part of final project of the course Design for Manufacturing 2024.

Figure 1.
Air flow visualization and vortices formation around vertical boom (Solidworks 2023, Flow Simulation)
jat-2024-00514f1.jpg
Figure 2.
Overall design prototype 1
jat-2024-00514f2.jpg
Figure 3.
Exploded view of shaper assembly of Prototype 1
jat-2024-00514f3.jpg
Figure 4.
Construction of final prototype
jat-2024-00514f4.jpg
Figure 5.
Boom rolling and locking mechanism
jat-2024-00514f5.jpg
Figure 6.
Detail of folded boom inside the roller casing
jat-2024-00514f6.jpg
Figure 7.
Detail of the Roller Mechanism after optimization
jat-2024-00514f7.jpg
Figure 8.
Shapers and components of the system
jat-2024-00514f8.jpg
Figure 9.
Detail of the designed Generator and the internal connections
jat-2024-00514f9.jpg
Figure 10.
Final prototype fully extended (a) and retracted (b)
jat-2024-00514f10.jpg
Figure 11.
Test prototype
jat-2024-00514f11.jpg

References

Cajas, J. C., Houzeaux, G., Yanez, D. J., and Mier-Torrecilla, M. SHAPE Project Vortex Bladeless: Parallel multi-code coupling for Fluid-Structure Interaction in Wind Energy Generation, PRACE, 2016.
Francis, S., Umesh, V., and Shivakumar, S. Design and Analysis of Vortex Bladeless Wind Turbine. Materials Today: Proceedings, 47(16), (2021.
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Elsayed, A. M., and Farghaly, M. B. Theoretical and Numerical Analysis of Vortex Bladeless Wind Turbines. Wind Engineering, (2022). doi: 10.1177/0309524X221080468.
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Samy, C. K., Ahmadi, H. B., Atfah, Y. A., Dol, S. S., and Alavi, M. Design of Portable Vortex Bladeless Wind Turbine: Preliminary Study. Journal of Advanced Research in Applied Mechanics, https://doi.org/10.37934/aram.102.1.3243.
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Manshadi, M. D., Ghassemi, M., Mousavi, S. M., Mosavi, A. H., and Kovacs, L. Predicting the Parameters of Vortex Bladeless Wind Turbine Using Deep Learning Method of Long Short-Term Memory. Energies, (2021). https://doi.org/10.3390/en14164867.
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Block, J., Straubel, M., and Wiedemann, M. Ultralight deployable booms for solar sails and other large gossamer structures in space. Acta Astronautica, (2010). Doi:10.1016/j.actaastro. 2010.09.005.
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