CHAPTER #1

1. Introduction to Wind Energy

1.1 Energy Conditions of Pakistan

1.1.1 Energy crisis in Pakistan

Pakistan has the sixth largest population in the world, with approximately 200,000 people and
has a population growth rate of 1.5%. With an already large population, which growing faster
day by day, Pakistan has been facing a sever energy crisis. According to the World Energy
Outlook (2016) statistics, at least 51 million people in Pakistan or representing 27% of the
population live without access to electricity. Even the people with access to electricity, are not
supplied with it constantly, with large load shedding periods which can last up to 10-12 hours
a day.

The power supplied by the energy sector of Pakistan is not enough to meet the demand of the
large population. Overall Pakistan is struggling with a large gap between electricity supply and
a demand of about 5 GW. The rate of power demand increments in domestic sector is 9%
(approx.), industrial sector is 3.8%, and transport sector is 4.8% whereas in others there is a
subsequent decrease i.e. in agriculture sector it is 7.1% decrement and government sector it is
1.4%. [1]

In Pakistan, oil and gas are the major sources of energy production. 80% of the energy is being
produced by oil and gas, 13% is being produced using hydropower, 1.9% in being cover by
nuclear power and 4.2% of the total supply is being coved by other renewable energy sources.
[2]
1.1.2 Current Installed Capacity
The installed current capacity is about 17,000 MW and the peak load demand is 22,000 MW
contributing to the average shortage of 5,000 MW approx. Annual demand increment overall
is around 10% annually while the new capacity installation rate is increasing at 7% only. With
this relation it can be predicted that by 2030 the power requirement will be greater than 45,000
MW in the country.

The main provider of electricity in Pakistan is PEPCO (Pakistan Electric Power Company)
subdivided into DISCOs (Distribution Companies) and KE (Karachi Electric). KE is
responsible for the provision of electricity in Karachi and DISCOs in the whole country. The
distribution system throughout the country is obsolete which contribute great losses and
wastage of electricity.

1.1.3 Lighting on Highways

The lack of energy in Pakistan is one of the main reasons why there is no lighting on many of
the highways and motorways of Pakistan. Road lighting is widely applied as a safety measure
in some countries, but the costs and the energy consumption associated with road lighting are
making it less attractive.

Installation of lighting on highways is essential for expanding the visual range of the driver,
which ultimately increases the response time of the driver. Improving the visibility of the driver
helps decrees the potential accidents that may occur, which not only saves loss of capital, more
importantly provides more safety for the lives of the passengers travelling on the highway.

According to the Pakistan Bureau of statistics the just in 2018 alone there were over 11000
accidents in Pakistan which has caused the loss of around 36,000 lives [3]. And with the
population constantly growing in Pakistan, we can only expect this number to further increase.
By adding lighting on the highways, many of these accidents can be prevented. According to
the NZTA Economic Evaluation Manual (EEM), 35% of the crashes can be reduced by
upgrading or improving lighting in areas where lighting is poor [4].
1.2 Wind Energy
Since the 20th century, many new innovations for the cultivation of energy have been
introduced. One of the sources, that has been fairly popular in recent times is wind. The fact
that wind can provide energy that is clean (does not harm the environment), has caught the
interest of many countries. Wind energy is replenishable, whereas conventional sources of
energy that have are being used, such as coal and oil are will eventually run-out. Also, the fact
that these conventional sources emit greenhouse gases, which is causing the earth to heat up,
has caused a global awareness to switch to alternative energy sources. Countries like China,
USA, Germany, Japan and many others are now heavily investing in technologies that can
harvest energy produced by the wind [5].

1.2.1 Extracting wind energy

Wind currents are formed due the pressure differences created within the atmosphere. There in
a large reserve of kinetic energy in these winds can be extracted using wind turbines. The flow
of these winds depends on the terrain of the Earth and the power in the wind itself, depends on
the velocity with which wind flows, density of air and cross-sectional area through which wind
passes and velocity of the wind itself.

𝟏
𝑷 = 𝝆𝑨𝒗𝟑 (1.1)
𝟐

Where,

Pw = Wind power (watts)

ρ = Air density (taken as 1.225 kg/m3 at 15 ◦C and 1 atm)

A= cross-sectional area through which wind pass (in m2)

v= wind speed normal to Area A (in m/s)

1.2.2 Advantages of Wind Energy
Wind energy has the following advantages over other power generation methods

• Wind energy does not pollute the environment, unlike power plants operating on
natural gas or coal.
• Wind is an abundant and infinite resource which will not run out in the future.
• Unlike solar energy which is only useful while the sun is up, wind energy can be
obtained during night hours as well
• Cultivating wind energy does not require building large plants or reservoirs, which is
the case for hydro power plants.
• The running cost is low. The only cost incurred is in the maintenance which is much
lower than power plants.

1.3 Wind Energy in Pakistan

By the end of 2030, Pakistan aims to achieve 5-6% of its power generation using renewable
sources. With a total installed capacity of 26 GW ant the end of 2016, renewables contributed
to 4.2% of this capacity. Even though Pakistan has a great potential for wind energy, currently
only coal and oil-fired power plants contribute for the majority of the overall installed power
capacity [1].

1.3.1 Wind Corridors in Pakistan

According to the United States Department of Energy and National Renewable Energy
Laboratory (NREL), Pakistan has a wind potential to generate roughly 346 GW of energy and
the generation potential was estimated to be 0.5 TB by the end of 2016. Specifically, the
Province of coastal areas of Sindh and Baluchistan account for the highest quality wind energy
available. Just in Sindh, wind speeds can reach up to 5-12 m/s, which have a power generation
potential of 20 GW.
The selected wind corridors of Sindh Province are Hyderabad, Jamshoro, Kati-Bandar, Noori
Abad, Chuhar Jamali and Thano Bola Khan. Whereas Gadani, Jiwani, Hubchoki, Aghore,
Winder, and Gawader are the best sites for wind potential in Baluchistan Province according
to the Pakistan Metrological Department (PMD).

1.3.2 Wind Energy on Highways

Highways are one of potential sources of gathering wind energy which are not being utilized,
apart from the exception of a few countries. When any object travels through a medium, it
needs to overcome the resistance caused by that medium. Similarly, when vehicles travel
through the atmosphere, they have to overcome the resistance of air, which ultimately
consumes the fuel of the vehicle. When these vehicles overcome the resistive forces of air, they
produce a pattern of wind around them called wind wakes. If the energy of these wind wakes
can be harvested, we can end up saving the fuel required to face air resistance.

The wind present in the wakes of vehicles is usually very weak and turbulent in nature, so the
energy needs to be harvested using micro turbines. The energy contained in the wind wakes of
large vehicles such as trucks and lorries are much larger than the wind wakes of small vehicles
like sedans. The reason being that sedans are usually aerodynamically designed where as large
trucks are not. Even though the energy in the wakes of vehicles is not very large in magnitude,
its more than enough for providing power for lighting on the highway, as well as shops and
hotels located along the highways.

1.3.3 Highways of Pakistan

Pakistan consists of a network of highways and motorways which allows people to travel to a
different province or city, and greatly helps with the transportation of goods. Highways are
used for travelling within a province with vehicles travelling at speeds of up to 80 m/s, whereas
motorways are generally used for interprovincial travel, where vehicles travel at speeds over
120 m/s.

The since motorways of Pakistan are usually used for the purpose of long-distance travelling,
large vehicles such as coaster and transportation trucks are found on them. People travelling
across provinces often use coasters, and trade across the provinces often requires transportation
of goods using trucks and lorries. Due to the presence of these large vehicles, the wind wakes
created on motorways are generally strong in nature, compared to the conventional roads or
highways.

Apart from the artificial wind created by the vehicles, the highways of Pakistan are also subject
strong natural winds as well. Although strong in nature, due to being very close to ground these
natural winds are usually also very turbulent in nature.
1.3.4 The M-9 Motorway
The M-9 is a 136-km long, 4-lane highway, connecting the cities of Hyderabad and Karachi in
the Sindh province of Pakistan. The M-9 motorway is one of the motorways with the highest
wind potential in Pakistan. The reason being that this highway intersects the wind corridor of
Sindh. High wind potential areas such as Hyderabad, Jamshoro and Noori Abad, which are a
part of the Sindh corridor are all intersected by the M-9.
Since the M-9 starts from the Karachi, which apart from being the largest populated city of
Pakistan, is also the most industrially active city. The fact that Karachi is home to one the few
sea ports of Pakistan, it has a large trading community. Because of this the M-9 is one of the
most used motorways for the transportation of goods, to and from Karachi. The development
of CPEC has increased trade between Pakistan and China which has caused the amount of large
transportation vehicles on M-9 to grow. The presence of these large vehicles, ensure the
presence of strong artificial winds on the M-9.

1.4 Wind Turbines

Wind turbines are the devices used to extract the energy contained in the wind. A wind turbine
extracts the energy from the wind through the rotor blades that rotate about an axis along a
shaft. Inside the nacelle of the turbine are the gearbox and generator which then convert the
mechanical energy into electrical energy.

1.4.1 Classification of Wind Tubines

Wind turbines can be classified into certain types as shown in Fig

Wind
Turbines

Horizontal
Vertical Axis
Axis

3 Blade
1 Blade 2 Blade Darrieus Savonius
(or more)

Helical
2 Blade H- Type 2 Blade 3 Blade
Blade
1.4.2 Horizontal Axis Wind Turbines (HAWT)
A wind turbine whose rotation axis is parallel to the surface is known
as a horizontal axis wind turbine (HAWT). The driving force that
dominates in this wind turbine is the lift force. They can be fitted
with single, double or multi blades. The horizontal axis axle is
attached by bearings at the top of a tower where the blades are also
attached to the axle. They are the mainstream machine for extraction
of wind power in the world at the moment.

1.4.2.1 Advantages and Disadvantages of HAWTs

The advantages of HAWT over VAWT are:

 Most HAWTs are self-starting

 Produce more rated power output
 Higher efficiency

Although HAWTs has the following disadvantages

 HAWTs have difficulties operating close to the ground.

 The tall towers and long blades are difficult to transport from one place to another and
need a special installation procedure.
 Requires a yaw system to point it in the direction of the wind.
 Stronger tower construction is required to support the heavy blades, gearbox, and
generator.
 Requires larger area for operation. (HAWTs need to be placed at a considerable
distance to each other so as not to affect the performance of the HAWT behind it due
to wind turbulence making them only profitable in areas where permanent winds and
high speeds are available.)
1.4.3 Vertical Axis Wind Turbines (VAWT)
A wind turbine whose axis of rotation is perpendicular to the ground
is known as a vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT). VAWTs are most
appealing for energy harvesting in the urban environment. They are
equipped with either straight blades or curved blades and do not
require large towers for operation.

1.4.3.1 Advantages and Disadvantages of VAWTs

The advantages of VAWT over HAWT are:

 They do not require a yaw system, as they are exposed to the wind in all directions
 The gearbox and generator assembly can be installed at ground level
 Perform better in complicated and unsteady wind environments compared to HAWT.
 Easier access to maintenance.
 In expensive blades and system
 Lower installation, production and transportation costs.
 Are more environmentally safer for humans and birds as they contain low speed blades.
 Lower noise levels when compared to HAWTs.

The disadvantages however are:

 Airflow near the ground create a turbulent flow, introducing issues of vibration.
 VAWTs are not sufficiently self-starting.
 Increased stresses on turbine blades (turbulent flow)
 VAWTs’ have lower efficiency as compared to HAWT’s.

1.4.4 Types of VAWTs

There are two main categorizations of VAWTs

1- Darrius Wind Turbines

2- Savonius Wind Turbines
1.4.4.1 Darrieus Wind Turbine
This type of wind turbine uses lift force to rotate the rotor
blades. Hence known as a Lift-type wind turbine. It was
invented in 1926 by Georges Jean Marie Darrieus, a French
aeronautical engineer. Due to the fact that Darrieus wind
turbines are more efficient, they are used in the generation of
electricity. It can be fitted with either straight or curved blades
and double or multi-blades.

1.4.4.2 Savonius Wind Turbine

This type of wind turbine uses the drag force to rotate the rotor
blades. Hence it is known as a drag-type wind turbine. It was
invented in 1922 by Sigurd Johannes Savonius, from Finland.
It functions when the wind strikes the blades (scoops) of the
turbine and accelerates it, thus Savonius turbines have a
maximum airfoil surface area to maximize drag. Savonius
turbines have low start up speeds and

1.4.4.3 Difference between Darrieus and Savonius VAWT

There are two main types of VAWTs; the Darrieus and Savonius, each with their own unique
qualities. [7] [8]

Savonius Darrieus

1. Drag force rotates the Turbine 1. Lift rotates the turbine

2. Low cut-in wind speeds
3. Poor aerodynamic performance due
to drag, hence lower efficiency
4. Higher bending stresses on wind
turbine
5. Complex design
6. High cost
7. No external power source required
2. High cut-in wind speeds
3. Superior aerodynamic performance
and hence higher efficiency
4. Lower bending stresses on wind
turbine
5. Simple design
6. Low cost
7. External power source required to
start due to low starting torque
1.4.5 Wind Turbines on Highway?
After assessing the advantages and disadvantages of the different types of turbines, logically
vertical axis micro wind turbines will be the most suitable option for the installation on
highways. Due to the turbulent nature of the wind

[1] https://energypedia.info/wiki/Pakistan_Energy_Situation

[2] Mazhar H.Baloch, Ghulam S.Kaloia, Zubair A.Memon. November 2016. Current scenario
of the wind energy in Pakistan challenges and future perspectives: A case study. Energy
Reports, Volume 2, p. 201-210.

[3] http://www.pbs.gov.pk/content/traffic-accidents-annual

[4] Michael Jackett, William Frith. March 2013. Quantifying the impact of road lighting on
road safety — A New Zealand Study. IATSS Research

[5] K.S.R. Murthy⁎, O.P. Rahi. May 2017. A comprehensive review of wind resource
assessment. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, vol 72, p. 1320-1342,

[6] Gilbert M. Masters, 2004, Renewable and Efficient Electric Power Systems, John Willey & Sons,
Hoboken, New Jersey, 654p

[7] Bani-Hani, Ehab Hussein, Ahmad Sedaghat, Mashael AL-Shemmary, Adelah Hussain,
Abdulmalek Alshaieb, and Hamad Kakoli. "Feasibility of Highway Energy Harvesting Using
a Vertical Axis Wind Turbine." Energy Engineering 115, no. 2 (2018): 61-74.

[8] Rakesh Kumara, Kaamran Raahemifarb, Alan S. Funga, 2018, A critical review of
vertical axis wind turbines for urban applications, Renewable and Sustainable Energy
Reviews, vol 89, p. 281-291