Innovative engineers have developed a methodology to capture electricity from man-made wind sources, such as those generated by cooling systems and transportation. This novel approach could unlock a significant source of renewable energy that has been largely untapped. Wind turbines are used to harness this wasted energy, leading to increased efficiency and reduced environmental impact.
Capturing Wasted Wind Energy
A novel way to generate electricity using human-made wind sources has now been developed by a team of electrical engineers hailing from the Distance University of Madrid and Mision Critica-Data Center, Colombia. Published in the journal Scientific Reports, the research shows how various technologies can still use wind energy that small turbines capture.
Data centers proved an ideal target for the researchers because they generate so much wind from the cooling systems used to stop computers from overheating. The research team used Tesup V7 extensive wind turbines mounted above the cooling fans for a total of 513.82 MWh annual electricity generation, while only consuming 46.22 MWh to run the fans. The net annual generation was 467.6 MWh, a significant achievement that demonstrates the promise of this new technology.
How to capture wasted windstep by step
Their approach includes a four-step process to locate and catch wind energy that goes to waste. The first step is that they find a possible man-made wind source, like boat, train or maybe even an HVAC system. Then, they look at how much wind is being produced and also how much wind can be used; normally by using anemometers to measure the speed of the wind.
To calculate about how much electric power could be gleaned from that frustrated wind, to find out if the side-project is worth it. Ultimately, the team decides on the right technology, which is often a small wind turbine to capture and use that wasted energy. This is a mock test done at the beginning of the planning phase to validate an approach.
Hitherto resource data on the renewable wind was being overlooked either integrated or considered a byproduct of diverse technology application, this methodical approach appears to not just evaluate but manifest it.
Tapping into the Power of Artificial Wind
This technology can be used in a wider variety of applications than just data centers. The researchers believe that wind energy from the airflow across ships, trains or perhaps even an HVAC system within a building could be harnessed and synthesized into electricity.
The technique is groundbreaking and could spell massive changes for the renewable energy field since it harnesses a previously neglected area of wind power. The researchers are, in effect, creating electricity from man-made wind—essentially helping to increase the total efficiency of systems that create this wind in the first place.
This is heartening news for a world scrambling to find sources of sustainable energy. Together, using small turbines in an organized way, they are working towards a future where wasted power is recycled back into use as something very useful — electrical energy.
