Technical Writing Proposal: Installation of Wind Turbines on the Sides of Highways

Oscar Carreto, Axel Geronimo, Hector Gregorio, Ryan Jewth

 

 

The Need for Innovation

 

The aging US energy infrastructure cannot maintain the increasing energy demand, a growing economy, and population needs. New energy sources must be developed to combat the pending climate crisis. We must find new ways to generate electricity without burning more fossil fuels. Renewable energy sources are the solution to modernizing our aging energy infrastructure while letting go of the dependency on fossil fuels. Switching to renewable sources like solar, wind, hydro, and others will reduce our carbon footprint while diversifying our sources of energy production. Green energy sources like solar energy or hydro dams require a ton of space to be efficient, not to mention hydro dams require a water source to produce energy. Wind turbines significantly reduce the dedicated space needed to produce energy while their construction is simple compared to other forms of green energy.

All current methods of green energy production require naturally occurring conditions, whereas wind turbines harness energy from artificial sources of wind. Artificially, sources of wind are wind currents generated by a moving body through the atmosphere. For example, cars moving through a highway at 60 mph generate wind currents up to 45 mph up to four feet away(ncesr.unl.edu, 2019). The wind generated by a car can be harnessed to power infrastructure on highways and streets, such as lights and signs. By installing wind turbines on busy roads and using them to power infrastructure that provides visibility, we can improve the safety of all motorists traveling on the road.

 

To generate power, the wind rotates a set of blades attached to a shaft to create energy. As the shaft rotates, it spins a generator’s core, producing energy stored in the internal battery and used at night to power highway lights. Using wind turbines removes the need to burn as much fossil fuels as before, thus reducing our carbon footprint. 

 

We plan to collaborate with the Department of Transportation (DOT) and the local and state governments of New York to revolutionize the way we harness energy. Our company, Zephyr Energy Systems, is committed to exploring new designs that will generate the most power while keeping motorists’ safety. motorists’nstalling wind turbines on the sides of roads to harness energy from the wind generated by moving vehicles presents a promising, sustainable solution for increasing energy production while reducing the reliability of fossil fuels and our carbon footprint. 

 

 

Wind Turbines on Cars

 

As the name implies, studies conducted by the University of Bitlis Eren, Iskenderun Technical University, and Firat University suggest installing wind turbines on cars. The idea was to install wind turbines on electric vehicles (EVs) to charge the battery as they cruise through the highway, similar to how the alternator charges the battery in a conventional. In principle, this idea seems revolutionary as it would improve the range an EV could travel. However, the main opposition to this innovation was that it would drastically increase the vehicle’s drag. Drvehicle’s to the resistance a car faces as it moves. Because the air resistance increases, more power would be needed to accelerate the vehicle. This would increase the strain on the battery, draining it faster. Wind turbines on cars would hurt the range of EVs, so it’s not viable unless the wind turbine design is sleeker and more aerodynamic. 

 

 

Historical Background 

Turbines have existed since the 7th century, initially powered by water used to grind grain or transport water into a village, known as windmills. Windmills played a massive role in the early development of civilization; farmers could grind grain and bake bread to feed villages. Since then, the windmill has stapled itself as the icon for farming.

 

As our understanding of science and physics developed over the centuries, we could harness the first bits of electricity. In 1887, Professor James Blyth was the first to use windmills to generate electricity in Scotland. The first wind turbine charged an accumulator, similar to a battery, and powered Blyth’s cottage. Thomas Edison created The first lightbulb a few years prior, back in 1880. Many of his neighbors still lit their homes with gas lights and candles. He offered electricity to his neighbors, who were skeptical of the wind-generating electricity.

 

Since then, wind turbine technology has drastically improved, improving the understanding of the physics of wind turbines. We’ve changed from a windmill to developing a dedicated set of blades designed to rotate as fast as possible as the wind hits. As a result, turbine efficiency has significantly improved but is limited by physics. A turbine is designed to capture the wind’s kinetic energy. A wind turbine can capture 100% of the available power. This phenomenon is well documented and known as the Betz law. Betz law states that no turbines can reach an efficiency higher than 59.3% because it blocks airflow. Wind needs must be from the front of the blade to the back for a continuous, uninterrupted stream of air to generate electricity. Because of the limitations set by physics, most turbines have around 30-45% efficiency. Despite the relatively low efficiencies, they generate power 24 hours a day, making up for the loss of efficiency.  

 

Wind turbines have cemented themselves as the perfect candidate against fossil fuels. Their relatively low production and maintenance costs have allowed turbines to persevere through innovation. Many countries globally have set up wind farms to produce a sizable amount of energy. Today, Denmark is leading globally in wind turbine farms. In 2023, they harvested 19.4 megawatt-hours of power, about half of the country’s energy. 

 

Blade Design

 

Many things go into consideration when designing the shape of the blades. Convention horizontal turbines use blades with diameters of 6-8 feet, reaching heights of 40 feet. In our case, it is crucial as we don’t want to destroy wildlife or pose any safety threats if storms damage the wind turbine. Our design will be a slick profile whose blades will have the most available energy from the wind.

 

For this proposal, a helix-shaped design would be best to consider when installing our turbines. Studies conducted by Amity University- Dubai have found that a Helix blade (labeled D) produces the most energy out of all the other designs because of its sleek profile and ease of construction. When the wind makes contact with the blades, we want them to be as aerodynamic so that they face little wind resistance when rotating. Our blades would be simple to assemble to make installing wind turbines easier. Not to mention, since a helix-designed blade takes the shape of a cylindrical item, multidirectional winds created by two-way traffic will not be a problem with the energy production of our turbine. It aids with energy production as this will increase the rotation of the blades. 

 

 

Operation of a Generator

 

A wind turbine has more to it than just the blades. These blades must be attached to a vertical shaft that connects them to a generator. The base of our turbines will hold the generator and battery, so most of the weight is near the ground, acting as an anchor.

 

An electric generator is a device that converts mechanical energy into electrical energy. A generator contains two main parts: a set of magnets and a rotating coil of wires (the core). The core rotates relative to the magnet to produce electricity, visually represented in Figure 4. Electrical generators work on the principle of electromagnetic induction, which states that a change in a magnetic field around a conductor creates an electric current in the circuit. As the core is rotating around the magnets, the magnetic field in the wires induces a current, and we collect the voltage generated in our internal battery. Depending on the day and traffic, we estimate that we can generate anywhere from 2-5kw of energy per hour per turbine on the highway.  

 

Our battery would turn on at night to provide power at the light on top of the turbine. We could power highway systems at night, increasing motorist visibility. This power may be used to power surrounding infrastructure such as street lights and pedestrian crossroads. We want to improve the safety of both motorists and pedestrians at night. According to data from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), nearly half of all fatal car accidents happen at night, with around 29% of all accidents occurring during nighttime hours, even though there is significantly less traffic compared to daytime. Experts believe that the lack of visibility causes this. We aim to combat this issue to preserve human life.

 

 

Return on Investment

 

 

Depending on where we plan to install the turbines, our priturbine’ss. Our fixed costs are: 

• $400 per set of blades
• $1200 per generator
• $70 for verticle shaft
• $2000 for installation (including worker’s wages and worker’s area)

 

Our prices change according to the area of installation. We may choose highway systems like I-495 or I-95 because of their high truck traffic. Models show that semi-trucks produce more energy than cars due to their size and mass. Compared to a car, trucks can create stronger gusts of wind for longer than cars. Semi-trucks generate more electricity than a car would. A semi-truck produces around 1,200 times more electricity than a single car.

 

If the turbine had an efficiency of just 35%, and the gusts of wind from a semi-truck could reach up to 52 MPH four feet away, when harvested into electricity, it could generate up to 7kw of energy per hour. These gusts can make this turbine economically competitive against traditional wind turbines due to its compact size and relatively high hourly yield.  

 

To give an example of how cost-effective this design could be, we estimate that bringing our turbine online would cost around $12,000. At 30 cents per kilowatt of energy, a turbine can repurchase itself every 4-6 years. Turbines have an estimated life span of 20-255 years. We believe this technology will revolutionize our energy production.

 

Additionally, small turbines have several benefits over their traditionally larger counterparts. Because they are small and close to the ground, manufacturing, transportation, maintenance, and installation costs will all be much lower than those of conventional large turbines. We will find the most effective and safe places to install new infrastructure by working alongside the DOT. Our compact turbines do not require highway systems to be shut down for long periods. 

 

 

Conclusion

 

We have the opportunity to change the way we harness electricity without harming the environment even more. We could switch to renewable energy if we work together to build a sustainable future. Installing turbines is a great way to improve our electrical grid while reducing our carbon footprint. Our turbines will provide power to lights in areas not easily accessible by our power grid. By increasing the visibility of traffic, we reduce the number of accidents on roads. Instead of creating new solutions for our ever-increasing demand for energy, we should start with solutions that show potential and results. Wind turbines are far from the primitive things they once were; they are the key to a sustainable future.

 

 

References 

El Emin, Y., Cengiz, Y., Dandil, B., & Ahmet, Y. (2022). Effect of wind turbine designed for electric vehicles on aerodynamics and energy performance. Thermal Science. 

https://doiserbia.nb.rs/Article.aspx?ID=0354-98362204907E

Noushad, Z., Hossain, R., Rahman, M., Rabbi, F., Hossain Lipu, M., & Molla Shahadat. (2023). Vertical axis wind turbine on highway application in Bangladesh: Design and performance assessment. Engineering Village. 

https://ieeexplore-ieee-org.ccny-proxy1.libr.ccny.cuny.edu/document/10464809

National Center for Energy Security Research. (2019). Converting Waste Vehicle aerodynamic energy into electricity, University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

https://ncesr.unl.edu/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Converting-Waste-Vehicle-Aerodynamic-Energy-into-Electricity.pdf 

Wenyu Hu, Jiaqiang E, Yan Tan, Feng Zhang, Gaoliang Liao. (2022). Modified wind energy collection devices for harvesting convective wind energy from cars and trucks moving on the highway, ScienceDirect. https://www-sciencedirect-com.ccny-proxy1.libr.ccny.cuny.edu/science/article/pii/S0360544222003577?via%3Dihub

Wikipedia contributors. (2024, November 16). History of wind power. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_wind_power

Yadav, A., Pillai, S. R., Vashishtha, V. K., & Kumar, A. (2022). Feasibility study of vertical axis wind turbine on UAE highways. ScienceDirect. https://www-sciencedirect-com.ccny-proxy1.libr.ccny.cuny.edu/science/article/pii/S221478532202689X?via%3Dihub