Alternative ducting-based wind power generation technology undergoes wind tunnel testing
Green technology power generation specialists at Katrick Technologies have concluded the first stage of the Alpha testing phase of the company’s novel wind power generation technology.
Developed in partnership with The Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) and tested at the University of Strathclyde, the prototype of the company’s Wind Panel has yielded results that were satisfactory to the team during this latest testing phase, which successfully demonstrated the technology’s potential as an innovative approach to alternative wind power generation methods.
Wind Panel Technology
Katrick Technologies’ Wind Panel is the first such method of generating power throughout wind that addresses the limitations of conventional wind turbines by capturing a far wider range of wind speeds and frequencies at lower levels. This is achieved through its design for capturing wind energy. The panel makes use of “channelling ducts”, which contain aerofoils that oscillate independently when exposed to the kinetic energy of wind and these mechanical oscillations are then converted to energy.
The duct was designed as part of The MTC partnership to augment wind velocity and focus higher speeds onto the aerofoils. The Wind Panel collects energy in smaller pockets, allowing it to capture gust and ground-effect winds that rotary turbines are unable to capture.
Now, this new technology has been validated as far as “Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 5” by the University of Strathclyde. Specifically, the Alpha testing phase aimed at gathering data to prove the functionality of the technology under its intended operational conditions.
Alpha Testing
Stage 1 of the Alpha phase involved two test periods in wind tunnels to replicate operational conditions. The first of these took place at the Silverstone Sports Engineering Hub with the second one having taken place at the University of Strathclyde’s testing facilities.
The Silverstone facility is a Research & Development centre that was created to provide testing, prototyping and engineering capabilities for the sports industry. It includes test rigs and wind tunnel facilities that were ideally suited to the wind panel testing. During the tests at the Silverstone Sports Engineering Hub, a wind speed acceleration of 1.5 times was recorded, demonstrating that the design of the prototype was effectively increasing wind speeds and therefore potential energy production.
Following this, the team then moved on to Scotland and The University of Strathclyde. The University’s Energy Systems Research Unit (ESRU) is active in the research, modelling and testing of new approaches to built environment energy utilisation and the introduction of sustainable means of energy supply at various different scales.
The ESRU at Strathclyde conducted 51 tests over 80 hours on the wind panels, working towards predefined design targets for performance. The prototype was expected to produce between 25 and 40 watts (W) of mechanical power at a wind speed of 12 metres per second (m/s), but it exceeded this target and produced on average 41.1 W at just 10.2 m/s.
During one test cycle, the prototype produced 68.58 W, far more than the predicted maximum level. The design targets for this stage of Alpha testing also anticipated that the system would run at around 3.6 – 5.8 per cent efficiency, but on average the overall efficiency was 6.85 per cent, again, a significant improvement on the forecast results.
Next Stage Test Preparations
Katrick Technologies now plans to build on the success of Alpha Stage 1 and take the next steps towards the commercialisation of the technology in Stages 2 and 3. During Stage 2, the technology will be validated to Test Readiness Level 6 (TRL 6). This is the level of readiness associated with prototype verification at an operational leve. During these tests, the technology will undertake performance demonstrations in a wind tunnel that will mimic a wider range of environmental conditions that the product should expect to meet during its operational life. Following validation at TRL 6, any final required upgrades and optimisation will be completed as part of Stage 3.
Steve Nesbitt, Chief Technologist for the Built Environment at MTC predicts that demand for clean electricity will continue to rise significantly as the world moves further away from using power produced by burning fossil fuels.
Centrally produced renewable energy, such as from conventional wind farms however, may find that deficiencies in the distribution networks may not be able to fully satisfy the full demand. Because of this, it’s predicted that there will be a need to be able to generate renewable energy locally or on buildings.
“Katrick’s novel technology is a great example of how this can be achieved, and we are pleased to be working with them to make their innovation a reality. We look forward to continuing our work with them to help commercialise their invention and accelerate society’s transition to sustainable energy,” says Nesbitt.
According to Cameron Johnstone, Director of the Energy Systems Research Unit at the University of Strathclyde, Katrick Technologies’ successful controlled testing and performance characterisation of the Wind Panel is a significant step forward in the development of the product against the TRL technology development framework.
“This demonstrates engineering performance which is de-risking both the investment relating to maturing the technology for the market and the performance and robustness of the product,” he says.
The completion of Alpha Stage 1 marks a significant milestone in the development of Katrick Technologies’ Wind Panel. The results from these tests have demonstrated that not only does the technology function as expected, but it exceeds the targets originally set and shows the potential of this innovation in generating clean energy. Katrick Technologies will now continue to collaborate with The MTC and the University of Strathclyde to optimise their Wind Panels and begin the next phase of testing, bringing the technology one step closer to market.
- UK manufacturing steps up to COVID-19 crisis - April 2, 2020
- Clustering Innovation - March 12, 2020
- A Global Monitor - March 6, 2020