Master of Science in Engineering, Youngstown State University, 2024, Department of Mechanical, Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering

This research investigates the optimization of vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT) systems to harvest energy from vehicle-induced highway winds. The primary objective is to enhance the efficiency of small-scale VAWTs mounted on the side of highways, enabling the generation of electrical energy or clean hydrogen production. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling was employed to systematically optimize the turbine design and to develop wind guides that further increase the efficiency. The study found that an elliptical VAWT design demonstrated a 4.4% higher power coefficient compared to a Savonius VAWT. Introducing a single flat or curved guide between the turbine and the road increased the power output by 145.33%. Further refinements, including the use of three guides with optimized angles and radii, culminated in a remarkable 393.16% improvement over the initial non-guided-guided configuration. In the non-guided-guided scenario, simulating the VAWT's exposure to the wake flow induced by a bus traveling at 32 m/s, the CFD analysis predicted an energy output of 30.41 Nm. However, when the three guide vane configuration was employed, the energy output exhibited a substantial increase, reaching 100.41 Nm under the same bus speed conditions. The comparative analysis between the Non-guided-guided and three-guide vane setups for the bus wake simulations revealed a remarkable 230% enhancement in energy capture when the guide vanes were incorporated. This significant performance improvement highlights the favorable impact of the optimized guide vane arrangement on the aerodynamic behavior of the VAWT, facilitating more effective extraction of energy from the wake flows generated by larger vehicles such as buses. The results showcase the significant potential of vehicle-induced highway winds as a viable source of renewable energy. The optimized VAWT system, incorporating multiple flow guides, demonstrates the ability to effectively harness this untapped resourc (open full item for complete abstract)

Committee: Stefan Moldovan PhD (Advisor); Hazel Marie PhD (Committee Member); Eric Haake MSE (Committee Member) Subjects: Alternative Energy; Energy; Engineering; Mechanical Engineering; Sustainability

Master of Science, University of Akron, 0, Electrical Engineering

This thesis investigates the possibility of generating electricity using wind power created by moving traffic at various locations. An energy harvesting system, which could extract the vehicle-induced turbulence energy to power up the low-consumption LED lighting from a self-feeding highway, could be a better solution for the grid-independent lighting system that needs to be installed along the highway that is far away from the major city. This thesis presents the design of a small-scale low starting-speed wind turbine system that can accept wind in any direction. Although many efforts have been made to predict the amount of energy generated by moving vehicles, a very limited number of these efforts have focused on modeling the moving traffic to accurately estimate the amount of energy that it generates. In this thesis, the traffic conditions and vehicle samples are simulated in detail. Based on the generated turbulence, the estimated power is calculated. Also, the numerical modeling for the energy harvesting system is discussed. Moreover, the methods used in the energy harvesting system (including loads, wind turbine, and generator), along with the CFD analysis of different vehicle models and the wind turbine system including LED lighting are also discussed in this thesis. In conclusion, the generated power along the chosen highway with the real traffic data from the design system is sufficient for the use of LED traffic lighting during the nighttime which is around 10 hours.

Committee: Yilmaz Sozer (Advisor); Malik E. Elbuluk (Committee Member); J. Alexis De Abreu García (Committee Member) Subjects: Electrical Engineering; Engineering

Master of Sciences, Case Western Reserve University, 2018, Physics

Boundary Labs, LLC is an early-stage company composed of three students at Case Western Reserve University which aimed to evaluate the feasibility of commercialization of a novel dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) plasma actuator as an active flow control (AFC) method in wind turbines. The hypothesized benefits of DBD plasma actuators for AFC include improved energy capture from wind, low cost, and ease of implementation. This thesis is a two-part case study. The first part emulates a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I Proposal for the technology and includes discussions arguing that a strong commercial potential for the proposed technology exists in the United States and that technical development is feasible. The second part includes miscellaneous sections outside the scope of an SBIR proposal, leading to a discussion of the Boundary Labs team decision to discontinue development of this technology.

Committee: Edward Caner (Committee Chair); Robert Brown (Committee Member); Michael Martens (Committee Member) Subjects: Alternative Energy; Energy; Entrepreneurship; Physics

Master of Science, University of Toledo, 2014, Mechanical Engineering

Small turbine engines are highly affected by the weight of onboard components during operation. This idea has led to the development of the rotary fuel slinger which acts as the primary fuel delivery system for the combustor. This type of fuel delivery system involves a rotating component or slinger that uses centrifugal forces to propel atomized fuel into the combustion chamber. The atomization properties of the fuel are highly affected by the rotational speeds of the slinger and suffer during engine start-up conditions. Exit orifice designs are being studied in order to conclude an optimal size and shape for uniform droplet size distributions. It is important that the atomized droplets remain within a certain size distribution in order to burn completely and with the highest efficiency possible. Recently, the idea of using pre-manufactured micro atomizing nozzles at the exit orifice has come to realization. The thought is that these nozzles will help maintain a more uniform droplet size distribution even under low rotational speed start-up conditions. To date, there have been no publications on the use of micro atomizing nozzles on a rotary fuel slinger. Therefore, a study was conducted on six different micro iv atomizing nozzles in order to assess their effectiveness in the fuel delivery design process. This study will show various results including droplet size distribution data for a range of certain start-up condition variables. From these results, the small turbine manufacturer may determine a suitable nozzle for their system or may choose to continue research on a specially designed exit orifice that may better fit their needs.

Committee: Terry Ng (Advisor); Afjeh Abdollah (Committee Co-Chair); Cioc Sorin (Committee Member) Subjects: Mechanical Engineering