Highway-based, vehicle driven Vertical Axis Wind Turbine with Solar Power System

Abstract

The world is moving towards clean energy sources and utilizing such sources which are abundant, efficient, economical and environmental friendly. This research project is based on two clean energy sources i.e. Wind energy and solar energy utilized together. This research is based on wind energy generation system which captures wind energy (Vehicle-induced Turbulence) from vehicles moving on highways along with solar power generation system. It consists of a vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT), a turbine having vertical shaft with blades surrounding it, is installed in the mid-way of highway. When the vehicles move from the both incoming and outgoing sides of highway. they tend to move the turbine. The turbine connected to the generator thus operates it, which produces electrical energy that can be stored in battery banks, light up the highway street lights and signs, provides electricity to small village nearby or can be connected to the grid using inverters to convert the DC output to AC first. To make the system more reliable and provide continual supply, the hybrid system of VAWT-Solar power generation system is designed in this research, proving it is better to utilize VAWT and solar hybrid instead of individual source generation.