High efficiency nanofluid cooling system for wind turbines

Abstract

The efficiency of cooling system is critical for wind turbines, particularly during the hot season, when high temperatures could damage the electric generator and mechanical parts of the turbine. The cooling system proposed in this paper is able to increase the efficiency of heat transfer with the use of nanofluids and the wind turbine tower as a heat exchanger to dissipate waste heat in the environment. In this study the use of Al2O3-water nanofluids has been considered. The results of this investigation appear encouraging because they have shown that the proposed new solution is able to assure highly efficient heat transfer and to limit thermal stresses on the electrical and mechanical components of wind turbines.