Design and Wind Tunnel Testing of Funnel Based Wind Energy Harvesting System

AbstractModern wind energy systems are of giant structures having a turbine generator on the top of tower at a height of 80 metres with control mechanisms like yaw control and pitch control. With this modern wind energy systems, exploitation of wind energy at low wind speeds is not possible, operation and maintenance and yaw control are difficult. In other fact, environmental problems related to disturbance in signals and birds life are considerably high. Considering all the difficulties that are faced with modern wind energy systems, a new approach for extracting wind energy is studied here. In this paper, design and experimental setup of funnel based wind energy harvesting system (FBWEHS) is explained in detail. For studying the feasibility of this new approach, a subsonic wind tunnel testing is carried out. Further smoke test in the wind tunnel is also carried out for visualizing the flow of air into the nested funnel. The results of wind tunnel testing showed the performance of the FBWEHS, in which the velocities at the turbine section is increased by a venturi speed ratio of 1.80 to 3.22 than the inlet velocities at nested funnel. Power availability at the turbine section is also increased with increase in velocity than the power available at the nested funnel. Experimental setup of FBWEHS with a propeller blade of diameter 7cm coupled with a small size generator is used for generating power. Generated power is in the range of 0.0001W to 9.93W over a range of wind velocities at funnel inlet as 0.5 m/s to 7.89 m/s. With this, FBWEHS is feasible to generate more power than modern wind turbines under similar conditions of wind turbine swept area and the wind velocities by eliminating the yaw control

The internet of things: Insights into the building blocks, component interactions, and architecture layers

This paper deals with the internet of things (IoT) which has become a promising and vibrant technology to build power full smart systems to monitor and analyze various real time operating systems. In recent years a wide range of IoT applications have been developed. To understand the IoT concept, this paper studies the insights into the four building blocks of IoT (Things, Gateways, Network infrastructure, and Cloud infrastructure), three main components of IoT (The Things with Networked Sensors and Actuators, Raw Information and Processed Data Stores, and Analytical and Computing Engines) along with architecture layers (Three Layer, Five Layer, Six Layer, Seven Layer, Cloud, and FOG). The interaction between three components of IoT is also presented. The main contribution of this paper is that it summarizes the IoT, IoT building blocks, components and their interactions along with architecture layers systematically

Smart cities in India: Features, policies, current status, and challenges

Smart cities are the modern urban concepts that are essential for people to have quality life. It is the conceptual view of grouping various technologies to attain smart and sustainable practices. This paper proposes the smart city definitions based on the general approach and the 3-C concept that defines the core character of the smart city. Moreover, this paper also presents a comprehensive study on the smart city concept in the view of India focusing on the features, selection and evaluation criteria, and policies. Besides these, present status, and challenges in the view of smart city in Indian context is also discussed

Lifecycle cost analysis (LCCA) of tailor-made building integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) façade: Solsmaragden case study in Norway

In dense urban areas, the use of building integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) façades are becoming popular and they are bringing many advantageous along with the energy-saving features. However, at the same time, they raise tensions in capital investments and overall returns. “Solsmaragden” is one of such a commercial building, that is integrated with BIPV façade with the peak power of 127.5 kW and owned by Union eiendomsutvikling AS in Norway. In this paper, a lifecycle cost analysis (LCCA) of BIPV façade integrated to “Solsmaragden” is investigated based on on-field recorded data after four years of operation (2016–2019). While formulating LCCA, numerous benefits from system power generation, societal and environmental benefits, and financial gains due to three different end-of-life material recovery approaches were also considered. The result based on the field monitored performance showed that the net present value (NPV), discounted payback period, internal rate of return and levelised cost of energy of the system is equal to 478,934 NOK, 22 years, 6% and 1.28 NOK/kWh, respectively. It is observed that the BIPV system as a building envelope material for different orientations of the building skin could reimburse not only all the investment costs but also become a source of income for the buildings. The results also illustrated that the granted subsidy is substantially covering the societal and environmental benefits of this project.publishedVersio

Energy performance of optimally inclined free standing photovoltaic system

This paper is about a simulation study to analyze the energy performance of optimally inclined free standing photovoltaic system. A 10 kWp crystalline PV plant is proposed with free standing installation type for BRCORP office location. The slope angle and azimuth angle are optimized using the PVGIS simulation tool. The proposed system is simulated in PVGIS tool to account for the energy production from the PV plant. The obtained simulation results were discussed as per monthly, yearly PV energy productions, year to year variability, and total losses. Output variations due to angle of incidence, spectral effects, temperature and low irradiance is also discussed. This work would help the energy investors, researchers, and academicians to understand the solar PV system assessments and feasibilities

BIPV power plants and policy recommendatons

The radiant light energy from the sun is converted into useful electricity using photovoltaic technology. Harnessing solar energy is simple and easy operation with the installation of PV modules in various configurations (open rack, roof mount, tracking, building integrated, building applied, floating). Among these configurations, BIPV is the most trending and ecologically efficient installation methods. This paper presents a study on the building integrated photovoltaic systems with the electric power system classification. This classification includes on-grid, off-grid, and hybrid BIPV power plants. The studied three classifications were compared in terms of the operation, components, installation configuration etc. General recommendations and various policy options for BIPV are also discussed. This study shows, BIPV power systems discussed in three combinations would contribute to the energy needs of the developed/developing nations by adding pleasing look to the buildings without having negative impacts on the ecology

BIPV market growth: SWOT Analysis and favorable factors

Building integrated photovoltaics is an advanced and newly emerged technology in the photovoltaic industry focusing on the application of power generation as well as the building infrastructure. In recent years PV systems have seen huge market potentials, and these are depended on various factors. Like PV systems, the market growth for BIPV is also influenced by various factors. In this paper, an analysis is carried out on such factors that leads to the BIPV market expansions. Primarily, SWOT (Strength, Weakness, Opportunity, and Threat) analysis of BIPV is analyzed in general way. Secondly, all the favorable factors were grouped and classified under six categories. These factors include the Energy, Sustainable Built Environment, Architecture & Design, Material & Civil Structure, Economic Gains, and Safety & Security. Finally, these factors were clearly discussed, and conclusions were made which would help in the BIPV growth

Dust cleaning robots (DCR) for BIPV and BAPV solar power plants-A conceptual framework and research challenges

This paper proposes a conceptual framework to design and develop robots for addressing the soiling or the dust cleaning issue on the building integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) and building applied photovoltaics (BAPV). BIPV and BAPV turn the present and future buildings (high rise or low rise) into power stations with the introduction of photovoltaics either in the façade (90° wall) or roof (flat or pitched) configuration. But one of the significant challenges that influence the energy performance is the dust accumulation. This is a serious issue in the places where air pollution is very high. Addressing this would be very difficult for the human workforce, and the complexity and tediousness would increase depending on the size of the BIPV and BAPV array or the height of the building. Currently, there are few dust cleaning robots which could offer services in addressing the soiling issues in conventional photovoltaic installations. The existing dust cleaning robots (DCR) could not offer a better feasible solution in BIPV and BAPV as they offered in traditional PV systems that were installed in an open area. Hence for addressing dust cleaning issue, some novel conceptual schemas related to robot developments were proposed in this paper considering the installation configuration of PV systems for building applications. Here, DCR’s for three configuration of PV installation with building applications namely BIPV/BAPV façade, BIPV/BAPV horizontal roof, and BIPV/BAPV pitched roof are dealt. The proposed conceptual robots were briefly described with the schematic views highlighting operation, energy consumptions, and slipping issue etc. Scope for the development and various research challenges that are to be considered during the design stage are highlighted along with the discussio