Energy support to airports by wind systems

Airports require constant power supply throughout the year. As a solution to this growing demand, power requirement of airports can be supported from renewable energy sources such as wind and solar. Wind energy can be harvested near airports by using a series of wind turbines of small sizes. Such small turbine can be placed around airports without violating aviation regulations. In this work, a three-bladed savonius wind turbine that can be easily manufactured at low cost and which is effective in turbulent air condition is proposed for this purpose. The pressure distribution over the turbines blades and the revolutions per minute (RPM) of the turbine are estimated/calculated by using a wind tunnel. In this investigation, it was observed that the savonius turbine designed for airport installation has the desirable characteristic of low cut-in speed. The flow around the turbine is visualized using a water flow channel and colorants. The visualization technique aids in understanding the performance of turbine against smooth as well as turbulent wind conditions.