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ECO-GREENERGYTM: THE FUTURE OF SMALL HYBRID WIND-SOLAR

ENERGY GENERATION SYSTEM

W.T. Chonga,*, W.K. Muzammila,b, A. Fazlizana, H. Taheria, M. Gwania, L.H. Chewc, S.C. Poha
aDepartment of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
bSchool of Engineering and Information Technology, University Malaysia Sabah, Jln UMS,

88400 Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia


cFaculty of Law, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

*Corresponding author: chong_wentong@um.edu.my (W.T. Chong)

ABSTRACT

Developments on small hybrid wind-solar energy generation systems for applications in urban and remote
areas have gained much attention due to the flexibility of the system to be deployed anywhere without
being connected to the electrical grid. In this paper, a novel shroud-augmented vertical-axis-wind-turbine
(VAWT) and solar photovoltaic (PV) panel hybrid energy generation system is introduced. The standalone
hybrid system has a compact design that harmoniously integrates a VAWT with the novel omni-direction-
guide-vane (ODGV) and solar PV panel to power an LED lighting system which may be used to light
building compounds, resorts, beaches, sky gardens, parks, mountain ranges or forests. The ODGV is
designed to surround the VAWT for wind power augmentation by guiding the oncoming airflow and
creates a venturi effect to increase the wind-stream speed before it interacts with the wind turbine blades.
The ODGV can be used in low wind speed regions by improving the starting behavior of the VAWT. Wind
tunnel tests were carried out in which the VAWT was positioned in a free-running condition and it was
found that the ODGV reduced the self-starting wind speed of the wind turbine to “4 m/s” (bare VAWT self-
starting wind speed was “7.35 m/s”). Furthermore, the ODGV increased the power output of the VAWT by
3.48 times compared with the bare VAWT at its peak torque. Apart from using the green energy generated
from the hybrid system to power the LED lights, additional energy can be stored in a battery or used to
supply energy demand for other appliances (e.g. CCTV camera). With these benefits, the system may be
used to alleviate the usage of fossil fuels in energy generation and therefore building a more sustainable
future.

Keywords: Hybrid renewable energy; omni-direction-guide-vane; wind energy; solar energy; vertical axis wind
turbine; on-site power generation

INTRODUCTION

Renewable energy sources i.e. wind and solar energy are recognized as potential sources for free, clean and
inexhaustible energies. In European cities, organizations involved in planning are urged to place wind turbines closer
to populated areas due to the decreasing number of economic sites (Wagner, Bareiss, and Guidati, 1996). However,
for a wind turbine to be used in an urban area, issues such as the structural strength of the wind turbines, failures of
blades, acoustic pollution (due to large wind turbine blades) and electromagnetic interference should be addressed
(Knight, 2004, Oppenheim, Owen, and White, 2004). As such, on-site energy generation using micro or small wind
turbines have been explored by researchers for the past few decades in order to integrate wind energy machines into
urban settings. This is to ensure that the issues troubling the use of wind turbines in urban areas can be overcome.
Conversely, autonomous and self-powered systems at remote locations (environmental parameters data logger,
water level monitoring for flood prevention, telecommunication installations for surveillance and emergency response)
may be equipped with solar or wind energy systems or a combination of both to supply small electrical loads. The
concept of on-site renewable energy generation is to extract energy from renewable sources close to the area where
the energy is required. The advantages of using a hybrid wind-solar energy generation system have been discussed
in literatures (Andrews, 1976, Beyer, Gabler, and Luther, 1988, Gabler and Luther, 1988, Ter Horst et al., 1986).
These advantages, however, depend on the climatic pattern and distribution of wind and solar energy resources. The
benefits include:

• Overall costs for self-powered systems may be reduced drastically


• High reliability without backup power sources
• Supplying load demand under varying weather conditions
Due to these advantages and to further improve the performance of the wind turbine, this paper presents the Eco-
GreenergyTM small hybrid wind-solar energy generation system. It incorporates the novel omni-direction-guide-vane
(ODGV) for integration with a vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT) and solar photovoltaic panel for on-site standalone
energy generation that can be deployed in urban or remote areas.

WORKING PRINCIPLES AND GENERAL ARRANGEMENT

This renewable energy system combines the hybrid wind-solar energy generation, energy-saving lighting and rain
water collection system into one compact design. The concept harmoniously integrates a wind turbine, solar
photovoltaic panel and a power-augmentation device called the omni-direction-guide-vane. Conventional method of
extracting power from the wind in areas where there is an uncertainty of wind speed and turbulence generated from
the surrounding obstacles is not efficient. The ODGV overcomes the inferior aspect of the low wind speed by creating
a venturi effect through the use of guide vanes to increase the natural wind-stream speed before entering the wind
turbine. The general arrangement of this system is shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 1. General arrangement of hybrid wind-solar outdoor lighting system.

The system comprises of a pole and a light source where a reflecting cover shrouds the light source and bottom part
of the VAWT. Multiple lamps can be adapted to be fitted under the reflecting cover. The pole can have heights in the
range of between 2 to 30 meters above ground level. The reflecting cover provides a reflecting surface for light
source to illuminate a street, park or its surroundings. The ODGV has multiple guide vanes surrounding the VAWT to
face the oncoming wind stream from all directions. The center drive shaft of the VAWT is directly connected to the
generator. The solar panel is strategically placed on top of the upper wall duct. The energy generated from the VAWT
and solar panel is used to power the light source. Moreover, any excess energy generated from the system can be
stored in a battery or fed into the grid line. The upper wall duct forms a collector for rain water flow towards the center
of the duct or through the ODGV. The inclined panels guide the rainwater through a rainwater passage that shares a
center axis as the VAWT. On top of the water passage, a water mesh is fitted to filter foreign objects from entering the
passage. The stored water can be used to water plants or ‘flushing’ of the micro-turbine. It can also be treated, stored
and used for general purpose. Additionally, the shrouds of the ODGV surrounding the VAWT prevents the blade to fly
off and cause any injuries to the surrounding people, thus enhancing the security feature of the system.

Design of omni-direction-guide-vane (ODGV)

As discussed, the proposed VAWT integrated with ODGV is a compact renewable energy system that overcomes
inferior wind speed by guiding and increasing the speed of the natural wind-stream through the ODGV, as shown in
Fig. 2. The wind turbine can be in any form of new or existing VAWT (lift-type or drag-type) or combination of VAWTs
(e.g. Darrieus wind turbine coupled with egg-beater type/S-rotor type). The guide vanes are used to guide the wind
stream to a better angle of attack for wind turbine blades. The guide vanes are designed to create a venturi effect in
order to increase the speed of wind before it interacts with the wind turbine. The channels in which the wind streams
flow through are formed by the surfaces of upper wall duct, lower wall duct and guide vanes. The ODGV consists of
several (more than 2) guide vanes that surrounds the VAWT. The guide vanes can be adapted in the form of straight
plate, curve plate or multiple straight segments plate with constant or variable thickness, as shown in Fig. 2.

Fig. 2. Omni-direction-guide-vane (ODGV).

The cross sectional area of the intake of ODGV is preferably two time or more than the cross sectional area of the
exit of guide vanes. The inclination angle of upper and lower duct wall is preferably 10 degrees to 80 degrees from
the horizontal plane. By inducting higher wind speed into the VAWT; smaller and lighter rotating parts of wind turbine
can be used to create the same power output, with lesser load on the bearing of turbines and reduced moment of
inertia for better starting behavior. By using smaller wind turbine inside the ODGV, it can eliminate or further minimize
the electromagnetic interference issue and noise level caused by large wind turbine with long blades. Moreover,
using smaller parts in the overall system will result in a lower cost design. In order to minimize power consumption,
LED lamp is adapted as the light source due to its durability. A battery can be adapted to store energy generated from
the wind turbine and solar panel. Excess of energy generated from the system can be used to power other electrical
appliances or fed into the grid. A compartment housing to place the hybrid controller and battery can be placed at the
bottom of the pole. An artist’s impression of the system is shown in Fig. 3.

Fig. 3. An artist’s impression of the Eco-GreenergyTM hybrid wind-solar energy generation system.
EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF THE OMNI-DIRECTION-GUIDE-VANE

The experiment was conducted to show that the ODGV fitted on the Eco-GreenergyTM hybrid wind-solar energy
generation system can improve the performance of the wind turbine. In the following sub-sections, the ODGV design
to be used in the experiment is presented, wind tunnel testing was carried out and the results from the experiment are
tabulated and discussed.

Omni-direction-guide-vane (ODGV)

The design shown in Fig. 4 is used for the experimental study of the ODGV and its effects on the performance of the
VAWT. The ODGV has four pairs of guide vanes, with each pair tilted at angles of 20° and 55° as shown in Fig. 5(a).
The guide vane pairs are designed equally spaced from each other, and around a cylinder with tapered feature at the
outer radial band. The radial placement of the guide vanes permits the wind to be captured from all directions without
the use of a yawing mechanism.

Fig. 4. Dimensions of the ODGV (Chong et al., 2013).

Preliminary testing on the ODGV

An initial testing was conducted to simulate oncoming airflow in a real world environment where the wind stream is
swirling and turbulent. Oncoming wind stream from three different directions, i.e. 0°, 30° and 60° were simulated
through the use of three industrial fans arranged in parallel. An ODGV model with dimensions shown in Fig. 4 was
used to enclose a Wortmann FX630137 5-bladed VAWT, as shown in Fig. 5(b). The experiment concluded that the
ODGV increased the rotor rotational speed to about two times more than a bare VAWT. This significant result proves
that the ODGV can improve the performance of a wind turbine.

(a) (b)

Fig. 5. (a) The arrangements of the guide vanes (Chong et al., 2013) (b) The 5-bladed H-rotor VAWT.
Wind tunnel test

Fig. 6. A schematic side view of the experimental test rig in a wind tunnel (Chong et al., 2013).

A wind tunnel test was conducted at the Aeronautics Laboratory, University Teknologi Malaysia. Similarly, the ODGV
and VAWT parameters from the preliminary test were used in the wind tunnel test, as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. Fig. 6
illustrates the experimental set-up of the VAWT which is shrouded by the ODGV. Two different configurations were
carried out during the experiment:

• A bare VAWT without ODGV


• An ODGV integrated VAWT

Initially, the wind speed in the wind tunnel was increased steadily until the VAWT started to rotate. This is to assess
the self-starting characteristics of the wind turbine for both of the configurations. The wind turbine for this initial
assessment was subjected to the inertia and bearing friction only (no external load). Subsequently, in order to
evaluate and compare the rotational speed and power generated by the wind turbine for both the configurations, a 6
m/s wind speed was used for the following experiments. Hysteresis brake was used to apply loads on the shaft rotor.
By adjusting the brake, the load exerted on the shaft is increased steadily until it reaches the maximum when the
rotational speed of the rotor is stabilized. The maximum torque and power generated by the wind turbine is recorded
and calculated accordingly.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS

Self-starting behavior

The results from the assessment of self-starting behavior of the VAWT are tabulated in Table 1. Under the same test
conditions, the bare wind turbine started to rotate at a recorded wind speed of 7.35 m/s. Meanwhile, the ODGV
integrated VAWT self-started at a reduced wind speed of 4 m/s. With lower self-starting wind speed, the ODGV
improves the performance of the wind turbine and increases the operating hours of the wind energy system. At 6 m/s1
wind speed, the ODGV integrated VAWT recorded a maximum rotational speed of 256 rpm, as opposed to the
maximum rotational speed of 91 rpm recorded by the bare VAWT. Hence, by using the ODGV, the rotor rotational
speed of the wind turbine was increased by about 182%.

Table 1. Assessment of self-starting characteristics of ODGV integrated VAWT and a bare VAWT (Chong et al., 2013).
Parameter ODGV integrated VAWT Bare VAWT
Self-starting wind speed (m/s) 4.00 7.35
Maximum rotational speed at 6 m/s (rpm) 256 91
VAWT performance

Table 2 shows the summary of the VAWT performance for both the configuration types. As discussed previously, the
wind speed of the wind tunnel was set to 6 m/s. The bare VAWT produced a maximum torque of 11.25 mN.m at a
steady rotational speed of 77.4 rpm. As a result, 0.1252 W was generated after calculating the losses due to bearing
frictions.

Table 2. VAWT performance results at wind speed of 6 m/s (Chong et al., 2013).
Parameter ODGV integrated VAWT Bare VAWT Augmentation ratio
Maximum torque (mN.m) 23.64 11.25 2.10
Rotational speed (rpm) 144.4 77.4 1.87
Power generated (W) 0.4352 0.1252 3.48

The ODGV integrated VAWT recorded a maximum torque of 23.64 mN.m at a steady rotational speed of 144.4 rpm.
Thus, 0.4352 W of power was produced. The augmentation ratios in power generated and maximum torque by
comparing both of the configuration types are 3.48 and 2.10 respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

This paper introduces a novel invention designed to utilize wind and solar energy to provide power for outdoor
lighting. The outdoor light system comprises of a pole, an omni-direction-guide-vane and a light source (LED lamp)
fitted at the lower part of the ODGV, where a reflecting cover shrouds the light source to enhance its luminosity and
provide better light distribution. A vertical axis wind turbine is enclosed within the ODGV, in which the ODGV has
multiple flow channels formed by the guide vanes, upper and lower wall ducts inclined at an angle of 10 to 80
degrees from the horizontal plane. The guide vanes are designed to create a venturi effect and thus the speed of the
natural wind-stream entering the wind turbine intensifies. This improves on the weak and turbulent characteristics of
wind in urban areas. From the wind tunnel testing, the ODGV successfully improved the self-starting characteristics of
the VAWT. At a wind speed of 6 m/s in the wind tunnel, the rotor rotational speed recorded an increase of 182% at
free-running condition. Furthermore, the power output at maximum torque for the ODGV integrated VAWT is 3.48
times higher than the bare VAWT. Assessment of both of these wind turbine configuration types (bare and integrated
ODGV) with both having the same specifications (blade length, swept area and aerofoil profile) reveals that the
ODGV integrated VAWT improves on the many disadvantages of a bare VAWT. Furthermore, the on-site energy
generation capability of the system eliminates the issues concerning conventional street lighting system such as
trench wiring and landscape replacement after trenching. This novel design promotes the use of renewable energy in
urban areas and thus can be implemented to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by minimizing the dependencies on
fossil fuel reserves for energy generation.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The authors would like to thank the University of Malaya for the assistance provided in the patent application of this
design (Patent no: PI 2013700243), and the research grant allocated to further develop this design under the
University of Malaya Research Grant (RP015C-13AET) and Postgraduate Research Grant (PG047-2012B). Special
appreciation is also credited to the Ministry of Education Malaysia (MOE) for the research grant (Fundamental
Research Grant Scheme, FRGS – FP053-2013B).

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