Design and Simulation of a Banki Cross-Flow Wind Turbine for Highways Under High Turbulence and High Altitude Conditions

Abstract

The objective of this study is to design an optimal vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT) for electric generation on a high-density urban highway in Cochabamba, Bolivia, taking into account the special functional conditions due to the characteristics of the high altitude area. Based on the literature, it was initially determined that the Banki cross-flow turbine is the most suitable VAWT for use on highways. An in-situ measurement of the wind velocity spectra was conducted to assess the typical wind characteristics along the highway using statistical analysis and selected optimal values for testing and optimization. The diameter of the Banki wind turbine was then determined and fixed considering the width of the space between the two lanes of the highway as a limitation. Three geometrical aspects were assessed as variables for finding the optimal power coefficient; attack angle, number of blades and height. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations were carried out with every turbine combination to determine the optimal characteristics. From Cp and TSR values obtained from the simulations a multivariate analysis was carried out optimizing these values. The response of Cp and TSR were obtained, prioritizing Cp results. Finally, an ultimate design for the Banki wind turbine is proposed. The optimized Banki cross flow turbine has 11.5495 attack angle, 12 number of blades and 0.9 m of height.