Enhancement of vibration energy harvesting performance by omni-directional INVELOX wind funnel: A computational study
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
8-1-2022
Abstract
An alternate renewable energy source, through a piezoelectric vibration energy harvester with a bluff splitter body, could lead to higher efficiency in energy harvesting, through vortex-induced vibration at a near-resonance condition at 20 m/s high wind speed. However, wind energy is not as popular as solar energy, as the main renewable energy source in Malaysia, due to the relatively low wind speed available in the country. The INVELOX machine, introduced in 2014, was one of the most recent systems used to harvest wind power by accelerating wind speed. This omni-directional wind funnel could capture wind from all directions and tunnel it through a convergent-divergent nozzle, where the coupled bluff splitter body and piezoelectric vibration energy harvester (PVEH) are located at its venturi throat, which could lead to an increase in wind speed to fulfil the task of VIV energy harvesting. The proposed modified design is found to achieve 2.7 times the wind speed amplification at the venturi, which outperformed previously proposed designs. To achieve the optimum wind speed of 20 m/s for the coupled bluff splitter body and the PVEH plate, a free-stream wind speed of 7.4 m/s is recommended. The integration of the PVEH plate and the wind funnel is expected to harvest maximum voltage output at 20.99 V or 4.96 V, with a maximum power output of 0.82mW at 20 m/s.
Keywords
Wind energy, INVELOX wind funnel, Vortex-induced vibration, Piezoelectric vibration energy harvester
Divisions
fac_eng
Funders
SATU Joint Research University Grant [ST020-2020],Ministry of Science and Technology, Republic of China (Taiwan) Research Grant [MOST 107-2221-E-002-192MY3],SD Advance Engineering Sdn Bhd ]PV032-2018]
Publication Title
Applied Sciences-Basel
Volume
12
Issue
16
Publisher
MDPI
Publisher Location
ST ALBAN-ANLAGE 66, CH-4052 BASEL, SWITZERLAND