Wind Energy: Tunnel and Turbine

This study presents a new approach in which a wind tunnel apparatus is used to identify the efficiency of power output by a wind turbine with a 400W rating. Moreover, the study addresses a significant issue concerning the turbulence formed by a natural wind which can be eliminated or reduced with the use of the proposed wind tunnel. Wind power characteristics that indicate power output vs. wind velocity are obtained by performing a number of case studies. The case studies include normal operation of the experimental wind turbine at variable wind velocity values with and without proposed wind tunnel. A certain level of turbulence is formed and the wind turbine power output is measured and recorded for a number of cases. The statistical t-Test and ANOVA analyses showed that the suggested approach could be useful for wind turbine manufacturers to evaluate the degree that contributes to the variability of renewable energy production. Besides, the results may be helpful to support educational institutions in providing renewable energy awareness in the US by providing adequate information for the selection and handling of the parameters that control the variability of the energy needs.