a b s t r a c tPresent wind power is intermittent and cannot be used as the baseload energy source. Concept study of wind power utilizing direct thermal energy conversion and thermal energy storage named Wind powered Thermal Energy System (WTES) is conducted. The thermal energy is generated from the rotating energy directly at the top of the tower by the heat generator, which is a kind of simple and light electric brake. The rest of the system is the same as the tower type concentrated solar power (CSP). The cost estimation suggests that the energy cost of WTES is less than that of the conventional wind power, which must be supported by the backup thermal plants and grid enhancement. The light heat generator reduces some issues of wind power such as noise and vibration.
A wind-powered thermal energy system can convert wind power efficiently into thermal energy to be stored for stable and low-cost electric power generation. This article derives a basic formula of induction heating for heat generation in the wind-powered thermal energy system. The dependence of heat generation on the number of magnetic poles and material parameters of the conductor is analytically derived. The maximal heat generation is given by a simple function of the conductor radius, rotational speed and applied magnetic flux density. Finite element eddy-current analysis shows that the derived analytical solution gives a reasonable estimation of heat generation.
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