Numerical Analysis and Modelling of the Effectiveness of Micro Wind Turbines Installed in an Electric Vehicle as a Range Extender

Abstract

In recent years, the number of electric vehicles (EVs) has grown rapidly, as well as public interest in them. However, the lack of sufficient range is one of the most common complaints about these vehicles, which is particularly problematic for people with long daily commutes. Thus, this article proposed a solution to this problem by installing micro wind turbines (MWTs) on EVs as a range extender. The turbines will generate electricity by converting the kinetic energy of the air flowing through the MWT into mechanical energy, which can have a reasonable effect on the vehicle aerodynamics. The article uses mathematical modelling and numerical analysis. Regarding the modelling, a detailed EV model in MATLAB/SIMULINK was developed to analyze the EV performance using various driving cycles in real time. In terms of numerical analysis, a detailed computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model has been implemented on a sample EV (Kia Soul) and an MWT using the Moving Reference Frame (MRF) method to act as a virtual wind tunnel in order to investigate the aerodynamic performance. The optimum location for the turbines to be installed has been identified on the front bumper of the car. The MWT has been designed from scratch using Qblade and Xfoil solvers by testing many foil sections and blade parameters to find the best design for the vehicle speed range. After using the designed turbine numerical results and implementing them into the EV model in MATLAB/SIMULINK, the results become more accurate. The vehicle efficiency increased by 13.1% at the Federal Test Procedure (FTP) highway driving cycle with five MWTs installed in the front bumper of the car, and its range increased by 24 km on a full charge; however, three MWTs have been studied in the CFD analysis to investigate the effect of the system on the vehicle drag coefficient, which is considered as the main trade-off of the proposed work. The analytical and numerical errors, points of strength, and weaknesses in each method and model have been determined to verify the entire work.