Urban wind energy conversion: the potential of ducted turbines

The prospects for urban wind power are discussed. A roof-mounted ducted wind turbine, which uses pressure differentials created by wind flow around a building, is proposed as an alternative to more conventional approaches. Outcomes from tests at model and prototype scale are described, and a simple mathematical model is presented. Predictions from the latter suggest that a ducted turbine can produce very high specific power outputs, going some way to offsetting its directional sensitivity. Further predictions using climate files are made to assess annual energy output and seasonal variations, with a conventional small wind turbine and a photovoltaic panel as comparators. It is concluded that ducted turbines have significant potential for retro-fitting to existing buildings, and have clear advantages where visual impact and safety are matters of concern.

[1]  Andrew Grant,et al.  Investigations of a building-integrated ducted wind turbine module , 2002 .

[2]  Simon Charles McIntosh.  Wind energy for the built environment , 2009 .

[3]  Santiago Pindado Carrion,et al.  Wind tunnel study on the influence of different parapets on the roof pressure distribution of low-rise buildings , 2003 .

[4]  Jonathan Knight,et al.  Urban wind power: Breezing into town , 2004, Nature.

[5]  David Surry,et al.  Wind effects of parapets on low buildings: Part 1. Basic aerodynamics and local loads , 2005 .

[6]  M. F. Jentsch,et al.  Vertical axis resistance type wind turbines for use in buildings , 2009 .

[7]  Gl Larose,et al.  On the Reynolds number sensitivity of the aerodynamics of bluff bodies with sharp edges , 2006 .

[8]  Chun-Chieh Wang,et al.  Design of cascadable optical unit to compress light for light transmission used for indoor illumination , 2009 .

[9]  S. Mertens,et al.  The Energy Yield of Roof Mounted Wind Turbines , 2003 .

[10]  John D. Ginger,et al.  Effect of building length on wind loads on low-rise buildings with a steep roof pitch , 2003 .

[11]  Theodore Stathopoulos,et al.  Wind Loads on Low Building Roofs: A Stochastic Perspective , 2000 .

[12]  R. P. Hoxey,et al.  Correction of wind-tunnel pressure coefficients for Reynolds number effect , 1997 .

[13]  Peter Richards,et al.  Wind pressures on a 6m cube , 2001 .

[14]  Robert Karl Walter Dannecker.  Wind energy in the built environment : an experimental and numerical investigation of a building integrated ducted wind turbine module , 2001 .

[15]  Theodore Stathopoulos,et al.  Wind loads on parapets , 2002 .