TECHNICAL SEMINAR

On

BLADELESS WIND TURBINE

By

B GANDHI 16K91A0344

Under the guidance of

Mr.K KISHORE KUMAR (M.tech)

( Associate professor )

Department of Mechanical Engineering

TKR College of Engineering and Technology
 ABSTRACT

Vortex bladeless wind turbine is a Spanish SME whose objective is to develop a new concept
of wind turbine without blades called vortex wind turbine. These design represents a new model
in wind energy and aim to eliminates are reduced many of the existing problems in conventional
generators. This technology creates a new revolution in the power generation system.

It is simple and composed of a single structural component so it is manufacturing, transporting,

storage and installation have greater advantages. The new wind turbine design has no bearings,
gears etc. so maintanence is easy. Bladeless turbine will generate electricity for 40% lesser in cost
compared with blade wind turbine.

Supervisor Signature

Submitted by

B Gandhi

H.No 16K91A0344
 CONTENT
 ABSTRACT

 INTRODUCTION

 HISTORY

 BLOCK DIAGRAM

 DESIGN PROCEDURE

 WORKING

 COMPARISION

 ADVANTAGES

 DISADVANTAGES

 APPLICATIONS

 CONCLUSION

 FUTURE SCOPE

 REFERENCE
 INTRODUCTION

Wind power has become a legitimate source of energy over the past few decades as larger, more
efficient turbine designs have produced ever-increasing amounts of power. But even though the
industry saw a record 6,730 billion global investment in 2014,turbine growth may be reaching its
limits.

Bladeless turbines will generate electricity for 40 percent lesser in cost compared with
conventional wind turbines. Inconventional wind power generation transportation is increasingly
challenging because of the size of the components: individual blades and tower sections often
require specialized trucks and straight, wide roads. Today’s wind turbines are also incredibly top
heavy. Generators and gearboxes sitting on support towers 100 meters off the ground can weigh
more than 100 tons.

As the weight and height of turbines increase, the materials costs of wider, stronger support
towers, as well as the cost of maintaining components housed so far from the ground, are cutting
into the efficiency benefits of larger turbines.

The alternative energy industry has repeatedly tried to solve these issues to no avail. But this latest
entry promises a radically different type of wind turbine: a bladeless cylinder that oscillates or
vibrates.The Bladeless Turbine harness vorticity, the spinning motion of air or other fluids. When
wind passes one of the cylindricalturbines, it shears off the downwind side of the cylinder in a
spinning whirlpool or vortex. That vortex then exerts force on the cylinder, causing it to vibrate.
The kinetic energy of the oscillating cylinder is converted to electricity through a linear generator
similar to those used to harness wave energy.

It consists of a conical cylinder fixed vertically with an elastic rod. The cylinder oscillates in the
wind, which then generates electricity through a system of coils and magnets. The outer conical
cylinder is designed to be substantially rigid and has the ability to vibrate, remaining anchored to
the bottom rod. The top of the cylinder is unconstrained and has the maximum amplitude of the
oscillation. The structure is built using resins reinforced with carbon and/or glass fiber, materials
used in conventional wind turbine blades.

The inner cylindrical rod, which will penetrate into the mast for 10% - 20% of it’s length
(depending on the size of the mast), is anchored to it at its top and secured to the ground at its
bottom part. It is built to provide highest resistance to the fatigue and allow its elasticity to absorb
the vibrations generated by the cylinder.

A semi-rigid coupling allows the upper section of the turbine to flutter in the wind while a linear
alternator housed in the lower section converts the movements into electricity. The bladeless wind
generator generates electricity through a “classic” system of coils and magnet. The cost reductions
come from reduced manufacturing costs: the tower and the generator equipment are, basically, one
and the same. This allows us to bypass the need for a nacelle, the support mechanisms and the
blades, that are the priciest components in the conventional wind generators. Manufacturing
savings are roughly estimated at around 51 % of the usual wind turbine production cost. The
manufacturing, transportation, construction and assembly are also simplified and are typical for
the wind industry.

The bladeless turbine currently takes up as much as 30% of the area of a conventional generator,
with maximum amplitude around a diameter at the top. It can capture about 40% of the wind power
contained in the air, which is a more than reasonable capacity, and at same height as many modern
wind turbines. The system does loose some electrical conversion capacity (reaching 70% yield of
a conventional alternator), because the design is so focused on avoiding and wear and tear .It aims
to be a “greener” wind alternative.

The impact on the bird population is expected to be much smaller, because it doesn’t require the
same type or magnitude of movement as the traditional wind turbine, allowing for higher visibility.
With the oscillation frequency of the equipment very low, the impact sound level is nonexistent,
opening the possibility to make the future wind farms completely silent.
BLADELESS WIND TURBINE
DESIGN OF BLADE LESS TURBINE
 MAST:carbon and/or glass fiber materials used.

 ROD: Carbon fiber reinforce polymer.

 GENERATING SYSTEM:-Linear Alternator.

 TUNING MAGNETIC SYSTEM:Neodymium magnet.

 SPRING:Hardened steel.

 FOUNDATION

Parts of bladeless wind turbines

Mast: the rigid ,ocillating part at the centre which has a conical shape forms the mast. The
mast is made lighter in weight to increase the oscillations and to reduce the stress due to
inertia which transfer to the base
Alternator :the alternator is driven by the power wheel via the belt drive.the generator is
design by using ceiling fan stator which consist of 16 set of windings.its made to generate to
electricity.it comprise s of Neodymium magnets
Types of vortex bladeless wind turbine

 Vortex Atiantis: 3 meters height and 100w generation capacity, working along
with solar panel,mainly to bringenergy to anoff grid locations.

 Vortex mini: 13 meters height and 4kw generation capacities,mainly for small-
scale /residential.

 Vortex grand: 150 meters height and 1MW generation capacity ,capable of
generating electricity for 400 house holds

S.NO NAME HEIGHT WEIGHT GENERATION PRICE CAPABILITIES

CAPACITY

1 Vortex 10feet 10kg 100watts $250 Lightings and

atlantis
Electronics items

2 Vortex 42feet 100kg 4kw $5000 village

mini

3 Vortex 490feet 100tons 1MW TDB 400 house holds

grand
 CONSTRUCUTION OF VORTEX TURBINE

The block diagram representation of bladeless power generation scheme. This explains the
function of each block and their specifications.

Centre Base: Base is made up of the rigid iron angular structure. The base provides equidistant
point for the position of the mast. It is capable of tolerating the mechanical stress acting on it. This
provides the strong foundation to the mast and spring.
Spring: Spring is mounted at the centre of the mast which provides the oscillation of the mast
in any of the direction. This spring is capable to withstand the weight of the mast.

Mast: The mast is a conical shaped, rigid structure which oscillates when subjected to wind .The
Mast is lighter in structure in order to increase the oscillations also decrease the mechanical stress
on the suspension spring as well as the base.

Thread: The thread is used for the conversion of the linear motion of the mast to the rotational
motion of the generator. Thread used is of nylon material which as a property of the nonelasticity.
This thread is connected to the chain of the sprockets. These threads are connected to the chain
using the guide ways to provide proper path to the thread.

pedal : The bicycle pedals are connected to the shaft of the Chain drive: sprocket. Pedals are
provided to balance the weight at both the side of the shaft of the larger sprocket as well as to
increase the rotation.

Flywheel: The flywheel is provided to increase the low RPM at the input side to higher RPM at
the generation. The flywheel is provided with the counter weight to increase the speed of the rotate
of the generator and it helps to rotate for the longer time. The flywheel is rotated by placing it on
the hub which is connected to the small sprocket. The larger sprocket is connected to the small
sprocket of the flywheel through the chain.

Belt: The leather belt is used to drive the generator. The belt is connected to the pulley of the
generator and the flywheel.

Chain drive: Chain drive helps in increasing the speed. The sprockets are connected to the
cycle hub and tightened and supported using a metallic frame. The compound chain drive is used
to reduce the space required. It uses total five chains from input to the output shaft.

Generator: The alternator is driven by the power wheel via the belt drive. The generator is
design by using a ceiling fan stator which consists of 16 set of windings.. It is made to generate to
electricity by replacing the metal rotor with a wooden rotor which comprises of Neodymium
magnets. Bladeless Wind Power Generation (IJSRD/Vol. 4/Issue 03/2016/497) All rights reserved
by www.ijsrd.com 1899
Charging circuit: The charging circuit use the micro controller which compare the generated
voltage with a predefined value and controls the relays. The relays act as a switch which helps in
charging only when power is adequate to charge the battery.

Battery: The battery used here is a 12V, 7.2Ah, lead-acid battery. This battery stores the charge
when the power is being generated and gives power when winding the thread. This also powers
the microcontroller and wireless receiver circuit.

Load: When the generated voltage is less than 12V, the power has to be dumped. Therefore a
dummy load is connected. The load consists of LED bulbs

. WORKING

The main principle behind bladeless wind generator is the conversion of linear oscillation of mast
to rotational motion. As the mast is subjected to wind energy, it tends to oscillate due to the vortices
formed around the structure of the mast, which can be converted to rotational force to generate
electricity. In the bladeless wind system configuration, the mast is fixed with respect to the ground
and the rib structure at the top of the mast comprising of thread arrangement is used for pulling the
threads attached to it. Energy is obtained by continuously oscillation of the mast. The mast utilizes
wind power to pull the threads along with the chain attached to the sprockets which drive the shaft
which intern rotates the alternator to generate power. During the oscillation of the mast, the mast
tries to oscillate in any direction depending on the wind direction. The rib structure at the top of
the mast is attached with six threads to absorb the energy from the wind. Each set of the thread
arrangement of the rib structure corresponds to one sprocket on the shaft which is driven by the
chain which is pulled by the thread. Hence three sprockets are available in the shaft out of which,
at least one of the sprockets is always in motion during the oscillation of the mast.

Bladeless wind turbine The arrangement of the threads on the mast is such that the power is
generated on all direction of oscillation of the mast. Each of the threads is joined with the chain
which drives the sprocket attached to the shaft to generate the maximum amount of power. The
thread joined with the chain is fixed with a spring mechanism; during the oscillation of the mast
one of the six threads is pulled which make the chain to drive the sprocket on the shaft. After the
maximum oscillation on one side is reached, the mast returns to its initial position and then
continues the oscillation on the other side where in the other arrangement of the threads and
sprocket drives the shaft hence providing the continues movement of the shaft. Such operation has
been developed and tested through numerical simulations, considering a quite accurate model,
which takes into account the aerodynamic characteristics of the mast and the strength of the
threads, and employing selftuning magnetic coupling system to maximize the net generated
energy. So that it can operate in a wider range of wind speeds and also withstand the high wind
velocities. This system allows maximizing the oscillation amplitudes when wind intensifies.

When the wind strikes the mast, it starts to oscillate due to the vortices formed around the
structure and suspension spring placed at the bottom of the mast. The energy absorbed by the
spring during the oscillation of the mast contributes to the increase in the amplitude of the
oscillations. The rib structure with the six thread arrangement at the top of the mast is attached to
the bottom chain drives through the guide ways which helps the mast to oscillate in any direction
of the wind .During the back and forth oscillation of the mast, one of the six threads is pulled from
the rib structure of the mast depending upon the direction of the wind. The thread being pulled due
to the oscillation of the mast is connected to chain which drive the sprocket on the shaft. Each set
of the thread arrangement of the rib structure corresponds to one sprocket on the shaft which is
driven by the chain which is pulled by the thread. Hence t three sprockets are available in the shaft
out of which one of the sprockets always is always in motion during the oscillation of the mast.
The thread mechanism is provided with guide ways and pulleys for maximum transfer of the
pulling force from the oscillation to the sprockets of the shaft. It also helps to increase the tensile
strength of the threads which is necessary to increase the conversion efficiency to the maximum
extent. The shaft driven by the sprockets arrangement rotates only in clockwise direction and
restricts the rotation of the shaft in the opposite direction which otherwise may cause the threads
to be pulled which may disrupt the oscillation of the mast and bring it to a halt. This shaft is welded
with two bicycle pedal at the end spaced 180 degrees apart and the flywheel is provided with four
counter weights 90 degrees apart, the arrangement of the pedal and the counterweight helps to
increase the rotation of the flywheel.

As the power is generated in the half cycle of the oscillation of the mast the shaft is subjected
to a jerk motion rather than a smooth motion. Such arrangement of pedal and the counterweight
helps in the smooth rotation of the flywheel trying to achieve perpetual motion. The power wheel
is connected to the alternator via belt drive which increases the rotation of the alternator with a
ratio of 1:10 when the shaft is in the motion. The belt drive eliminates the gear system thereby
reducing the maintenance. The maximum oscillation on one side is reached with the thread pulled
to maximum extent, at which the maximum energy is absorbed from the wind. After which the
mast returns to initial position and continues the Bladeless Wind Power Generation . oscillation at
other end where in the other arrangement of the threads and sprocket drives the shaft hence
providing the continues movement of the shaft . Since the power output of the alternator is AC. It
is rectified using a rectifier circuit, filtered and regulated using a regulating circuit to 12V. The
output DC Voltage obtained via the dual output of the regulation circuit charges the battery

CALCULATION

Lets consider a structure called Tapered Oscillation Cylinder

Considering the notations as,

d0= Dmax,

d1= Dmin,

D= (Dmax + Dmin)/2

H= L
,U= Air velocity,

ν= Kinematic viscosity,

fs= Oscillation frequency,

Now, we know Reynolds Number (Re)

Re= (UD)/ν and Strouhal Number (St)

St= (fsD)/L

Area of tapered cylinder,

Ap= (π/2)*(Dmax + Dmin)*L

Rt= Taper Ratio =L/(Dmax + Dmin)

Reynolds Number distinguish the flow of fluid as Laminar or turbulent. So we are targetting Re
values 300<Re<Re

Now for Reynold number to be 300<ReNumber

should be 0.2 or 0.198 (from graph) St = 0.198

Now all the parameters are known except Mean diameter

(D). To find mean diameter, we have to do trial and error.

By comparing our value of D with L/D ratio of other such Experiment.

Lets fix length as L=2m total length so from precious research paper and past study

we take L/D=10 Now,

2000/D=10

Dmax=200mm

Now from diffrent Reserch paper we found the taper ratio lies between 14-19

so selecting 16 as a taper ratio r=16 r=L/Dmax-Dmin 16=2000/200-Dmin Dmin=75mm = 80 mm

Approx for smooth taper Natural Frequency

We know that from Theory of torsion of shaft

we have So Wn=√(T / I)

T-torque od rotating member

I- Moment of inertia

now from CAD drwaing software and selecting material as pp polypropylene and Determining

Thier mass Proerties considering wall thickness as 2mm we calculated mass=1.8kg and also
found the position od centre of gravity.

Z= 859.18mm from top mast now natural freq fn= 1/2∏*√{(KL^2-2mgL)/4/I} putting the
values in the formula I=1/3m*L^2 I=2.4 kg-m^2

now as we know strouhal frequency should be close to natural frequency

so we know St=0.2 putting the value in strouhal formula st=fs*D/U fs=3 Hz

This should be equal to natural frequency so by putting fn=3

We get K=834.2 N/m value of spring stifness .

This much force is provided to sutstain the Air thrust.

METHOD OF ELECTRICITY GENERATION:

BY PIEZOELECTRIC MATERIAL:- Piezoelectric Effect is the ability of certain

materials to generate an electric charge in response to applied mechanical stress. The word
Piezoelectric is derived from the Greek piezein, which means to squeeze or press, and piezo,
which is Greek for “push”. One of the unique characteristics of the piezoelectric effect is that
it is reversible, meaning that materials exhibiting the direct piezoelectric effect (the generation
of electricity when stress is applied) also exhibit the converse piezoelectric effect (the
generation of stress when an electric field is applied). When piezoelectric material is placed
under mechanical stress, a shifting of the positive and negative charge centers in the material
takes place, which then results in an external electrical field. When reversed, an outer electrical
field either stretches or compresses the piezoelectric material. There are many materials, both
natural and man-made, that exhibit a range of piezoelectric effects. Some naturally
piezoelectric occurring materials include Berlinite (structurally identical to quartz), cane sugar,
quartz, Rochelle salt, topaz, tourmaline, and bone (dry bone exhibits some piezoelectric
properties due to the apatite crystals, and the piezoelectric effect is generally thought to act as
a biological force sensor). An example of man-made piezoelectric materials includes barium
titanate and lead zirconate titanate. It fails in our project because our project is a small
prototype so, it is unable to generate that amount of pressure required for electricity generation
from piezoelectric materials. But it is possible with real project with large dimensions(vortex
size>2m).

BY LINEAR GENERATOR:- When a magnet moves in relation to an electromagnetic

coil, this changes the magnetic flux passing through the coil, and thus induces the flow of an
electric current, which can be used to do work. A linear alternator is most commonly used to
convert back-and-forth motion directly into electrical energy. This short-cut eliminates the
need for a crank or linkage that would otherwise be required to convert a reciprocating motion
to a rotary motion in order to be compatible with a rotary generator. It fails in our project
because our project is a small prototype so, it is unable to generate that amount of pressure
required for electricity generation from piezoelectric materials. But it is possible with real
project with large dimensions(vortex size>2m).

BY RACK& PINION MECHANISM :- Here the reciprocating motion of the vortex

turbine is converted into rotary motion using the rack and pinion arrangement. The speed due
to the rotary motion achieved at the pinion is less. This speed which is sufficient to rotate
dynamo. The dynamo which rotates within a static magnetic stator cuts the magnetic flux
surrounding it, thus producing the electric motive force (emf). This generated emf is then sent
to a circuit which is used to the storage battery where it is stored during the day time.

CIRCUIT DIAGRAM: Since the current comes from the dc dynamo is fluctuating type
therefore we need this above circuit. In this when current comes to circuit is stored in capacitor
then it get converted into linear current which is either stored in battery or directly use to blow
LED bulb. In our project we use this mechanism but by making its larger model we can use
above two mechanism) (i.e.piezoelectricity,lineargeneratorconcept
Comparison between conventional wind turbine and bladeless
wind turbine:

SR.NO PARAMETER CONVENTIONAL BLADELESS

WIND TURBINE WIND TURBINE
1 Mode of operation It generates electrical It generates electrical
Power with blades Power with out blades
2 Mode of It capture wind energy captures wind energy
Generation Using roational motion using “vorticity”.
Of the blades
3 structure The design is sturdy& The design is sturdy &
There is high wear& There is minimal wear
tear
4 safety It is not safe for birds It is safe for birds
5 maintaince It has higher maintaince It is easy to maintain
cost Due to 80% reduction
In maintaince cost.
6 construction It requires more no. of It requires less moving
Moving parts parts &less material to
Produce same amount
Of electricity

7 economics The manufacturing The manufacturing

Cost is higher Is at around 53%of
Usual production cost
8 efficiency It has higher efficiency It has lower efficiency
(about 60%) (about 30%)
9 Space consideration The area required for We can put more
Installation is more Vortex in the same
Area to produce electricity
ADVANTAGES

 Weight 80% less than the blade wind turbine

 Low maintence cost

 Don’t required lubrication

 It is friction less

 Less space required

 Easy to assemble

 Material used in must is fiber glass which exhibits high strain and low weight

Disadvantages

 The efficiency of the energy absorbed from the wind is comparatively less than that of the
conventional wind turbine.

 The requirement of control systems for controlling the oscillation to meet the natural
frequency of the mast and control of the frequency at higher velocity winds. The height of
the mast can be increased based on the output required.

 It required a starting torque.

APPLICATIONS

Bladeless wind energy can be used in a variety of industries and applications, including marine
off-grid systems, industrial applications, remote telemetry and mobile base stations and for
houses, schools and farms.

Bladeless energy for Agriculture: Remote power systems are needed more and
more in the world of farming. Whether it’s for powering electric fencing, powering water
pumping, powering lighting in stables and chicken sheds or powering underwater cameras at
salmon farms – bladeless energy can be built in small scale as well as in big scale to meet the
bill. Small scale Bladeless wind

Turbine energy for Homes: The bladeless turbine will be focused to small scale
production. This system it has been designed to bring energy to an off grid locations and
matching it with solar panels. This is a cost-effective solution for houses where are existing
solar installations and where having a non-expensive wind device will help to storage the
energy produced while the solar is not producing. Also it will work for those villages where
having energy could be a matter of life. It can be used for Residential Battery Charging and
Grid Connection

Bladeless energy for Telecoms: With more and more mobile communications and
broadband technology being deployed in rural and remote areas, providing power for the
transmission equipment can often be a real headache. Bladeless energy can provide off-grid
power solutions needed to support telecom infrastructure.

Bladeless wind energy for Off-grid Lighting: Small scale bladeless wind turbine
generators are ideal for providing efficient and reliable lighting in off-grid locations.The
bladeless energy generates free renewable energy which is stored in a battery ready for when
it gets dark to power public street lights, car parks and playgrounds. We can combine the
bladeless energy with solar panels from our advanced solar range to ensure a continuous supply
of renewable energy for a sustainable off-grid lighting solution.

Bladeless energy for Signage and Signalling: There is an increasing need for off grid
signage and signaling in areas where grid connection is neither easy nor cost effective.
Bladeless energy can provide cost effective and reliable off grid continuous power solutions
for these remote power generation needs.

Off-Grid Power for Rail Signalling: Large parts of the rail network lack convenient
mains electricity. Bladeless wind power generators can be installed near railway signals to
supply power to the signaling systems.

CONCLUSION

The bladeless wind generation system configuration has been considered and the obtained
results appear to be very encouraging, even though they are based on simulations and model
taken from the literature, which certainly can give only approximate description of involved
dynamics. Tapping thewind for renewable energy using new approaches is gaining momentum
in the recent years. The purpose of this paper is to provide some fundamental results on the
bladeless wind system and serve as stepping stones for the future development of bladeless
wind power generating system. The forces that is beneficial or useful to generate power in
bladeless are different from those in conventional horizontal axial wind turbines. Our device
captures the energy of vorticity, an aerodynamic effect that has plagued structural engineers
and architects for ages (vortex shedding effect). As the wind bypasses a fixed structure, its
flow changes and generates a cyclical pattern of vortices. Overall the project has been a success
with all of the project requirements achieved. As the wind energy is powerful and consistent,
the usage of conventional wind turbine for utilizing the wind energy in lesser area and cost is
not possible. Hence bladeless wind energy helps us to achieve these criteria. This project has
three main advantages: Utilizing less area, Generation of high power, Economical. In
summary, the generation of electricity is made possible by the small structure of bladeless
turbine. High efficient power is generated. This project will satisfy the need of continuous
generation of electricity. The overall project uses less space area hence highly economical for
the rural electrification of India.
FUTURE SCOPE

Since most of states of India has many villages where there is still very less amount of available
electricity distribution

• So at that places establishment of this type of ‘bladeless wind turbine’ will help them to avail
electricity as well as job for family persons.

• It must be established in every states of India because of it is environment friendly as well as

seeking available amount of non – renewable energy sources.