Design and Analysis of an Innovative wind flow Accelerator for wind devices

Abstract

Abstract – Scientists are increasingly interested in finding ways to optimize renewable energy sources. Among these renewable energies, wind energy is the most promising after solar energy. However, these wind resources are highly localized. This study proposes a flow accelerator called a convergent, capable of integrating with a wind device to increase its performance at low wind speeds. This convergent is designed in Solidworks and analyzed using Autodesk CFD. Three cases of inlet parameters were simulated, namely, inlet velocity of 3m.s -1 , 6 m.s -1 and 10 m.s -1 . The results of simulations showed a drop of the absolute pressure at the outlet and a multiplication of the velocity of the order of 11.5 times. These results agree with the demonstrated mathematical argument and validate the principle of conservation of volume flow. It is concluded that the combination of convergent and a wind device generates higher mechanical powers and thus a better electrical energy production.