Experimental Assessment of Suitability of Darrieus and Savonius Turbines for Obtaining Wind Energy from Passing Vehicles

Abstract

The article deals with the results of a comparative analysis carried out on the construction of wind turbines applied in energy generation systems using the wind of passing vehicles. The structures of turbines with horizontal and vertical axes of rotation were considered. Vertical axis wind turbines (VAWTs) have been observed to operate in various wind directions, including highly turbulent winds. Therefore, for further experimental research, VAWTs have been selected, i.e., Darrieus and Savonius turbines and their modifications. For the purpose of experimental research, the authors developed and implemented their own laboratory setup. This setup enabled the measurement of quantities such as torque, power, and power coefficient and allowed for the determination of the start-up parameters of the investigated turbines. Moreover, as part of the research, wind speed was also measured in field conditions at a distance of 1 m from the expressway. The wind speed obtained from passing vehicles did not exceed 9 m/s. For this reason, the tests of the considered turbines using the experimental setup were performed for wind speeds in the range of 5.8–8.6 m/s. The investigations were conducted based on the obtained results, and it was concluded that the helical Savonius turbine possessed the highest efficiency (0.2047 from a wind speed of 5.8 m/s) in generating energy from the wind produced by vehicles traveling on roads.

The Use of Renewable Energy Sources in Road Construction and Public Transport: A Review

“…The efficiency of photovoltaic panels is 14%, 15%, and 16%, respectively [116]. The CEFRABID project [113], implemented in 2018-2020 as part of the European ERA-SOLAR.NET program, concerned the possibility of using photovoltaic modules in the system of noise and railway screens for Poland, Austria, Cyprus, and Spain. Poland's participation in the project indicates the involvement of the domestic market in the development of PVNB technology, emphasizing the importance and topicality of the issue.…”

“…The latest Polish research results on the possibilities of using the potential of the air stream induced by traffic with the use of model wind turbines with vertical and horizontal axes of rotation are presented in [113], where the authors from the Pozna ń University of Technology conducted a detailed analysis of the Darrieus and Savonius power plants and their numerous modifications (Figure 37). On a specially developed test stand, the torque, power, wind power utilization factor, and take-off speeds of wind turbines were measured.…”

“…It is possible to use wind farms with a vertical axis of rotation in traffic separation areas to generate mechanical and electrical power; however, several key technical and practical challenges are identified that may hinder the implementation of these solutions on a large scale, such as technical considerations resulting from the fact that that wind farms are designed to use wind energy, not energy induced by the movement of air vehicles, which means that the design of the rotor, its shape, and the operational parameters described by the mechanical power curve must be thoroughly considered, as indicated in [113]. However, the use of classic designs also allows them to be adapted to new working conditions.…”