2. Materials and Methods
Today, one of the most common types of wind turbines used on an industrial scale is wind turbines with a horizontal axis of rotation. However, this type of wind turbines has a common disadvantage: weak generation at low wind speeds of up to 4 m / s, and at storm winds above 25 m/s, a low range of operating wind speeds [
42,
43,
44]. Classic wind turbines are not able to operate efficiently in high-speed winds. This is due to the fact that under such conditions there are large forces acting on the wind turbine blades, which can lead to damage and even destruction. Increased load leads to a decrease in the reliability of the system as a whole [
45,
46,
47,
48].
In this regard, the task is to increase the efficiency of wind turbines at the specified wind speeds. The paper considers a method for increasing the efficiency of generating electric energy at low wind speeds, by adding a second wind wheel mounted on the stator, rotating in the opposite direction. Based on this, the effect of increasing the relative speed of rotation of the stator and rotor is achieved. The efficiency studies of the presented wind farm of special design were carried out, including experimental studies, and two models of windmills with counter-rotating blades were also developed. These studies are relevant and have potential for further study.
A specially designed wind farm with counter-rotating wind wheels is an efficient technology that allows productive conversion of wind energy into electricity [
7]. The principle of operation of such a device and its advantages over traditional wind turbines are considered [
37].
Since almost 90% of wind turbines used in the world have a horizontal axis of rotation. Then it is more profitable from a practical and economic point of view to modernize this particular structure. As a result, an experimental model of the wind generator design with counter-rotating blades with a horizontal axis of rotation was constructed [
38].
2.1. Development of Design Documentation for a Laboratory Model of a Specially Designed Wind Farm in Accordance with the Requirements of the Unified System of Design Documentation
When developing a laboratory model of a wind turbine of a special design based on a two-wheeled system located in the same wind flow and providing rotation of the armature and generator inductor individually from each wind wheel in the opposite direction, the object of research is a wind generator with counter-rotating blades. A special feature of this design is the presence of two wind wheels that rotate in opposite directions.
Based on the task set in the project, design documentation was developed for a laboratory model of a wind turbine of a special design based on two wind wheels and a rotating inductor and generator armature, the general view of which is shown in
Figure 1 (a, b).
The design of the device includes: two wind wheels, one fixed to the stator, the second to the rotor axis, a metal base, a current collector mechanism. During the research, an experimental laboratory model and a semi-industrial installation (experimental sample) were used. Experimental studies have confirmed the theoretical increase in the generation of electrical energy by this design. In practice, a wind generator with counter-rotating blades is used to increase the efficiency of generating electric energy at low wind speeds.
Table 1 shows the developed specification of design documentation for the assembly of a specially designed wind farm.
Based on the results of modeling, a physical model of a wind turbine is developed and created for conducting research in laboratory conditions, which allowed further research and became the basis for creating a prototype.
1.3. Description of the Technological Process of Assembling a Specially Designed Wind Turbine
According to the developed design documents shown in
Figure 1, a wind turbine of a special design was assembled.
Assembly procedure for a wind generator with counter-rotating blades:
1. The frame of the wind generator is made of metal profile pipe 20*20*2 (20*20*1,5), according to the drawings.
2. Support bearings are installed on each of the three pillars of the frame, in the center of the upper bar;
3. The base for the future platform for sliding contacts is installed on the central rack, and a dielectric (wooden) surface must be installed on top;
4. Generator;
4.1 A dielectric element "tube with expansion" is attached to the back of the generator, copper contact rings are pressed on this element, for a tighter fit, it is recommended to wind insulating materials under the contact rings;
4.2 The two generator terminals are soldered to the contact rings, having previously passed wires inside the tube that fit snugly to the inner surface of the tube;
4.3 A connecting washer is attached to the opposite side of the generator for attaching blades to it, the main function of the washer is a flat surface on the side of the blade attachment;
4.4 Generator axis lengthened. There are two ways to do this:
1) Remove the existing axle, having previously disassembled the generator and replace it with a solid long hairpin;
2) Using the connecting nuts, extend the existing axle on both sides with a metal stud.
5. Using a template, six blades are cut out of durable plastic materials. Three blades should be at the right angle of attack, three blades at the left. This is achieved by turning the template over before opening it. The length of the blades of the first design is 0.5 m;
6. Cut a circle with a diameter of ~200 mm from sheet metal with a central hole in the center, this disk is necessary for attaching the blades to the rotor;
7. We attach three blades to the cut circle, using self-tapping screws or bolts with nuts;
8. We attach three blades to the generator through a pre-prepared washer;
9. Attach the cut-out circle with blades from the point on the axis;
10. Assemble all the parts together and fix the axle in the bearing units;
11. On the platform of sliding contacts, install two sliding contacts so that they fit snugly to the contact rings when passing a full turn of the generator;
12. Lead wires ~1-1. 5 m long are soldered to the sliding contacts for connecting measuring instruments.
Figure 2 and
Figure 3 show the appearance of the created laboratory model and the main elements of a specially designed wind turbine.
The wind generator with counter-rotating wind wheels is an innovative solution that allows you to improve the extraction of wind energy. The principle of operation of this technology is based on the fact that the wind wheels rotate towards each other.
Figure 4 shows a graph of the start-up of wind wheels with a different number of wind wheels involved and combinations of the number of blades.
As can be seen from the graph in
Figure 4, there is a relationship between the number of blades involved and the initial speed of rotation of the wind wheel. So, when using three blades on one wind wheel (with the second one blocked), the average starting speed is 1.63 m/s. When using two wind wheels with three blades each, the average starting speed is 1.35 m / s, which is 20% less than when using a single wind wheel. The third type of measurement was performed when three blades were deployed on one of the wind wheels.
When using this technological solution, the average starting speed of the wind wheel is 1.01 m / s, which is more than 30% more than in the second experiment and more than 60% more than in the first. Therefore, we can safely conclude that with the increase in the number of blades and the addition of an additional wind wheel, the required wind speed to start starting the wind wheel decreases.
For primary laboratory studies, a wind generator with counter-rotating wind wheels was used, shown in
Figure 2 and
Figure 3. This version of the wind generator is achieved by changing the generally accepted design and adding an additional wind wheel that rotates in the opposite direction relative to the first one in the wind direction [
7,
37,
38].
2.4. Investigation of the Main Parameters of a Specially Designed Wind Turbine
When operating a laboratory model of a specially designed wind turbine, three conditionally selected zones of air flow movement are formed that affect the operation of a specially designed wind turbine, which are clearly shown in
Figure 5.
To determine the optimal distance between wind wheels, conditions were created on the model under which it was possible to adjust the distance between wind wheels. To maximize the transfer of wind energy, the optimal distance between wind wheels is selected, at which the wind flow stabilizes after the first wind wheel and exerts the maximum impact on the second one [
37].
During the operation of a specially designed wind turbine, as shown in
Figure 5, three conditionally separated areas of air flow are formed that affect the operation of the wind generator:
1) The air flow zone before interaction with the first wind wheel;
2) The area located between the first and second wind wheels;
3) The area located after the second wind wheel.
Air flow zone before interaction with the first wind wheel. This area does not differ from the area in front of a traditional wind generator.
When the air flow moves on the active screw of the wind wheel, the blades form drag. According to Newton's third law, the force acting on the blades, which is converted into the rotational motion of the propeller, is equal to the force of drag of the blades. These two forces are directed in opposite directions. However, a wind generator with a horizontal axis of rotation (used in scientific research) gets its rotation from the lifting force F
n, which has a direction of 90
o, relative to the direction of wind movement [
37].
Figure 8 shows the areas where the air flow is located when interacting with wind wheels.
The zone located between the first and second wind wheels has specific properties and features. In this space, there is a twisting of air flows passing through the area of rotation of the first wind wheel. Since wind wheels rotate in opposite directions, the air flow when moving from the first wind wheel to the second, passes a spiral geometry first in one direction, then in the other. Mathematically, you can describe the direction of the air flow with opposite signs. At the moment of changing the direction of movement, swirls occur.
Figure 5 shows a description of the air flow in zoneI, i.e. before interaction with the wind generator. This zone is identical to a traditional wind turbine. The air flow has a linear direction up to the first wind wheel, crossing the first blades, enters zone II (
Figure 7).
These swirls negatively affect the conversion of wind energy into electrical energy, since the second wind wheel does not receive an equivalent amount of straight-line air flow in comparison with the first wind wheel.
Swirls of air flows during the operation of an unconventional type of wind generator are shown in
Figure 7.
The third zone, located after the second wind wheel, is shown in
Figure 8, does not participate in energy generation, since only the energy of the air flow passes there, which is not involved in the generation of electrical energy.
The amount of undeveloped wind energy is determined by the Betz limit [
49]. The wind energy utilization rate is 0,593 [
50]. That is, of 100% of the wind energy that passes through the windmill area, 59% is used to generate electricity.
Figure 8 shows the air flow of the third zone. Therefore, when calculating power, it is necessary to take into account the fact that the second wheel receives less wind energy than the first one by a factor
of k [
38].
It should be assumed that this coefficient depends on several parameters:
- wind speed, V, m / s.
- air flow density, P, kg/m3;
- number of blades n, pcs.
- wind wheel rotation speed v, rpm;
- distances between wind wheels l, m.
Based on the above, it is clearly seen that the most convenient parameter for changing the function is the distance between wind wheels.
Obviously, with an increase in the inter-wheel distance, the interaction between the air flows created by the wind wheels will decrease, because when the first wind wheel passes, the air flow will have more time to restore straight properties, which will favorably affect the rotation of the second wind wheel. The straightness of air flows at different inter-wheel distances is shown in
Figure 9.
As can be seen from
Figure 9, the curvature of the straightness of the air flow decreases as the distance between the first and second wind wheels increases. Since the curvature decreases, the impact on the blades increases and thereby a higher rotation speed is achieved and, accordingly, the generation of electrical energy.
The distance between wind wheels plays an important role in energy production. The results showed that the optimal distance depends on the diameter of the wind wheel and is equal to one radiusr.