• The KSFM Journal of Fluid Machinery
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.48-52
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• 2017

Small-scale motor-generator sets have been used in laboratories for verification of real large wind turbines whose rated power are more than 1 MW. In this paper, a result of designing a small-scale motor-generator system, which is composed of motor, gear box, flywheel, and generator, is presented in the aspect of speed response. Design objective is to make a small-scale motor-generator system have the same time constant and optimal tip speed ratio region as a real MW wind turbine. A small-scale 3.5 kW motor-generator system for emulating response of a 2 MW wind turbine is considered and designed.

• The Transactions of The Korean Institute of Electrical Engineers
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• v.63 no.4
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• pp.484-489
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• 2014

Three phase PWM(Pulse Width Modulation) converter of the small-scale wind power system is able to charge battery under the rated wind speed regions. However, it is impossible to control output power of converter at the over win speed region because back-EMF(Electro Motive Force) of PMSG(Permanent Magnet Synchronous Generator) is higher than the battery terminal voltage of PMSG is reduced. However, the cut-off wind speed exists although battery charging algorithm is implemented by flux weakening control method. Therefore, this paper performs analysis of other factors which affects limitation wind speed. The validity of the analysis are verified through simulation.

• Smart Structures and Systems
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.67-90
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• 2017

The interdisciplinary research area of small scale energy harvesting has attracted tremendous interests in the past decades, with a goal of ultimately realizing self-powered electronic systems. Among the various available ambient energy sources which can be converted into electricity, wind energy is a most promising and ubiquitous source in both outdoor and indoor environments. Significant research outcomes have been produced on small scale wind energy harvesting in the literature, mostly based on piezoelectric conversion. Especially, modeling methods of wind energy harvesting techniques plays a greatly important role in accurate performance evaluations as well as efficient parameter optimizations. The purpose of this paper is to present a guideline on the modeling methods of small-scale wind energy harvesters. The mechanisms and characteristics of different types of aeroelastic instabilities are presented first, including the vortex-induced vibration, galloping, flutter, wake galloping and turbulence-induced vibration. Next, the modeling methods are reviewed in detail, which are classified into three categories: the mathematical modeling method, the equivalent circuit modeling method, and the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method. This paper aims to provide useful guidance to researchers from various disciplines when they want to develop and model a multi-way coupled wind piezoelectric energy harvester.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.43-64
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• 2012

Many potential small wind turbine locations are near obstacles such as buildings and shelterbelts, which can have a significant, detrimental effect on the local wind climate. A neural network-based model has been developed which predicts mean wind speed and turbulence intensity at points in an obstacle's region of influence, relative to unsheltered conditions. The neural network was trained using measurements collected in the wakes of 18 scale building models exposed to a simulated rural atmospheric boundary layer in a wind tunnel. The model obstacles covered a range of heights, widths, depths, and roof pitches typical of rural buildings. A field experiment was conducted using three unique full scale obstacles to validate model predictions and wind tunnel measurements. The accuracy of the neural network model varies with the quantity predicted and position in the obstacle wake. In general, predictions of mean velocity deficit in the far wake region are most accurate. The overall estimated mean uncertainties associated with model predictions of normalized mean wind speed and turbulence intensity are 4.9% and 12.8%, respectively.

• Journal of Magnetics
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.379-385
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• 2011

This paper presents an optimal design of a direct-drive permanent magnet synchronous generator for a small-scale wind energy conversion system. An analytical model of a small-scale grid-connected wind energy conversion system is presented, and the effects of generator design parameters on the payback period of the system are investigated. An optimization procedure based on genetic algorithm method is then employed to optimize four design parameters of the generator for use in a region with relatively low wind-speed. The aim of optimization is minimizing the payback period of the initial investment on wind energy conversion systems for residential applications. This makes the use of these systems more economical and appealing. Finite element method is employed to evaluate the performance of the optimized generator. The results obtained from finite element analysis are close to those achieved by analytical model.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.151-177
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• 2009

The International Hurricane Research Center (IHRC) at Florida International University (FIU) is pursuing research to better understand hurricane-induced effects on residential buildings and other structures through full-scale aerodynamic and destructive testing. The full-scale 6-fan Wall of Wind (WoW) testing apparatus, measuring 4.9 m tall by 7.3 m wide, is capable of generating hurricane-force winds. To achieve windstorm simulation capabilities it is necessary to reproduce mean and turbulence characteristics of hurricane wind flows. Without devices and methods developed to achieve target wind flows, the full-scale WoW simulations were found to be unsatisfactory. To develop such devices and methods efficiently, a small-scale (1:8) model of the WoW was built, for which simulation devices were easier and faster to install and change, and running costs were greatly reduced. The application of such devices, and the use of quasiperiodic fluctuating waveforms to run the WoW fan engines, were found to greatly influence and improve the turbulence characteristics of the 1:8 scale WoW flow. Reasonable reproductions of wind flows with specified characteristics were then achieved by applying to the full-scale WoW the devices and methods found to be effective for the 1:8 scale WoW model.

• The Transactions of The Korean Institute of Electrical Engineers
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• v.62 no.12
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• pp.1688-1693
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• 2013

A small-scale wind power generation system with a switched-mode rectifier(SMR) is proposed. To simplify the converter circuit of the wind power generation system, the synchronous inductors of the permanent magnet synchronous generator(PMSG) replace the inductor for the boost converter. The sensorless maximum power point tracking(MPPT) control is carried out for the wind power generation system with the SMR. The proposed system is verified through the simulations and the experiments.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.69-85
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• 2013

With the sustainability movement, vegetated building envelopes are gaining more popularity. This requires special wind effect investigations, both from sustainability and resiliency perspectives. The current paper focuses on wind load estimation on small- and full-scale trees used as part of green roofs and balconies. Small-scale wind load assessment was carried out using a wind tunnel testing in a global-effect study to understand the interference effects from surrounding structures. Full-scale trees were investigated at a large open-jet facility in a local-effect study to account for the wind-tree interaction. The effect of Reynolds number combined with shape change on the overall loads measured at the base of the trees (near the roots) has been investigated by testing at different model-scales and wind speeds. In addition, high-speed tests were conducted to examine the security of the trees in soil and to assess the effectiveness of a proposed structural mitigation system. Results of the current research show that at relatively high wind speeds the load coefficients tend to be reduced, limiting the wind loads on trees. No resonance or vortex shedding was visually observed.

• The Transactions of the Korean Institute of Power Electronics
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.149-156
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• 2014

This paper proposes the battery charging algorithm for small-scale wind power generator using three phase PWM converter. it is impossible to control output power of the converter in over wind speed region since back EMF of PMSG is higer than battery voltage. Therefore, battery charging algorithm is proposed to expand battery charging over wind speed region. The suggested method is using the q-axis current for battery charging in the rated wind speed region. In the over wind speed region after it lower back EMF of PMSG using d-axis current it can control output power of the converter. The validity of the proposed algorithm are verified by experiments.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.15-33
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• 2014

This paper describes partial turbulence simulation and validation of the aerodynamic pressures on building models for an open-jet small-scale 12-Fan Wall of Wind (WOW) facility against their counterparts in a boundary-layer wind tunnel. The wind characteristics pertained to the Atmospheric Boundary Layer (ABL) mean wind speed profile and turbulent fluctuations simulated in the facility. Both in the wind tunnel and the small-scale 12-Fan WOW these wind characteristics were produced by using spires and roughness elements. It is emphasized in the paper that proper spectral density parameterization is required to simulate turbulent fluctuations correctly. Partial turbulence considering only high frequency part of the turbulent fluctuations spectrum was simulated in the small-scale 12-Fan WOW. For the validation of aerodynamic pressures a series of tests were conducted in both wind tunnel and the small-scale 12-fan WOW facilities on low-rise buildings including two gable roof and two hip roof buildings with two different slopes. Testing was performed to investigate the mean and peak pressure coefficients at various locations on the roofs including near the corners, edges, ridge and hip lines. The pressure coefficients comparisons showed that open-jet testing facility flows with partial simulations of ABL spectrum are capable of inducing pressures on low-rise buildings that reasonably agree with their boundary-layer wind tunnel counterparts.