A Novel Train Roof-Top Wind Energy Conversion System

Abstract

Cities all around the globe are ramping up efforts to transform their infrastructure in order to achieve a carbon-neutral and sustainable future, resulting in fast electrification of transportation networks. The need for power in this industry is rising, notably in light rail transit. Application of train rooftops wind energy conversion has the potential to power light rail transits with renewable energy. This research paper presents a way to generate electrical energy by utilizing strong wind pressure from light rail trains that channels the induced wind towards the turbine. The current invention's main aim is to establish a method and system for producing energy utilizing winds that can be conveniently available in the operation of trains. Here the wind energy is independent of the variations in the direction and speeds in which seasonal winds move, which do not have the appropriate wind force or force at all times or places for operating the wind turbines. Vertical axis wind turbines are selected due to their advantage for the application under consideration. SOLIDWORKS and MATLAB simulation software were used for the design of the Train Roof-Tops Wind Energy Conversion System (TRT-WECS). The former was used to perform computational fluid dynamics (CFD) on the both normal train as well as the train having a turbine installed on the top, and a comparison has been made in terms of various parameters that affect the performance of the newly designed TRT-WECS. A mathematical model comprising mechanical and electric components has been developed by using MATLAB. Finally, the study found out that this special TRT-WECS design installed in each train provides an annual energy output of 4.9 MWh.