Student Name: JIBIN KURIAKOSE
Guide Name: Dr. Sandeep Saha Assistant professor, IIT Kharagpur & Dr. Hema Ramachandran, Assistant Professor, TPLC
Project Area: RENEWABLE ENERGY
Year: 2020 , Duration: 1
Wind energy is a large renewable energy source. It is becoming a significant alternative solution for future energy production. Modern turbines now benefit from engineering expertise, and a large variety of different models exists, depending on the context and needs. However, classical wind turbines are designed to operate within a narrow zone centred around their optimal working point. This limitation prevents the use of sites with variable wind to harvest energy, involving significant energetic and economic losses. Here, we present a new type of bioinspired wind turbine from tubercles of humpback whale using bamboo blades, which is applicable for small scale with a better efficiency. This work is inspired from recent studies on bio mimicry based on turbercles, plants and insect flight configurations, which show the ability of fins, wings, seeds or leaves to adapt to the wind conditions and thereby to optimize performance. We show that in the context of energy production, the reconfiguration of the turbine blades significantly extends the range of operating regimes using only passive, non-consuming mechanisms. Number of airfoil sections were evaluated using various analysis methods to identify the best performing one suitable for the conditions of the site and need. We expect the versatility of the new turbine model with tubercles incorporated to airfoil FX-63137 leads to a large increase of the converted energy rate. The fluid/elasticity mechanisms involved for the reconfiguration capability of the new blades will be analysed in detail, using experimental observations and modelling.
