Factors enhancing aerofoil wings for wind energy harnessing in buildings

Abstract

This paper presents an approach towards enhanced building-integrated wind harnessing. It uses building forms and profiles to trigger continuous air entrainment to power turbines. Computational fluid dynamics is used for evaluating, testing, and optimizing proposed designs. Wind separation around buildings is modeled alongside an investigation into the parameters of a wing-profile to accelerate wind. Computational fluid dynamics provides a good tool for modeling, designing, and optimizing aerofoil shapes. The main parameters affecting the wing's wind harnessing capabilities are the distance between the wing and the building and the angle of attack of the wing. The aerofoil can magnify wind velocity by a factor ranging from 0.53 to 3.5; that is, from just below Betz limit to over six times the limit, depending on incident velocities.Practical applications: The approach presented in this paper can be implemented directly into optimization of new designs of buildings to integrate wind energy harnessing. Furthermore, new proposed wing shapes or profiles can be investigated by the same procedure presented in this study. Computational fluid dynamics investigations to building-mounted wind technologies, such as the ones presented here, are becoming increasingly adopted in the design process in practice, in university courses and future research. © The Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers 2013.