A parametric optimization of vortex bladeless generator

A vortex-bladeless turbine is a device that works with vortex-induced vibration, which is generated by wind energy. It is one of the innovative devices for wind energy harvesting with some remarkable advantages compared to classical turbines. Such wind turbines have numerous advantages, including less maintenance than classical windmills, lower manufacturing costs, and easier installation. Vortex's nobility comes from its spectacular form of harvesting energy by vibration. The mast vibrates in the wind, with lift force made with Von-Karman vortices when a moving air cross-passes over a mast (with a mean diameter of the mast D) structure. At the lower part of the mast, an elastic rod (carbon fiber) moves an alternator and harvests electricity with the least parts in contact. To optimize this technology for harvesting the potential energy, one of the critical parameters is the mean diameter D, which is analytically studied to have the largest displacement amplitude at the tip of the mast. To this end, the bladeless generator is simulated as a one-degree-of-freedom system moving transverse with the flow direction. The mass-damping parameter (m*ζ), which depends on a mast and core fabric, is investigated. Air forces are extracted from experimental experiences, and fabrics are determined at the design stage according to references (carbon fiber for the core and carbon glass for the mast). The velocity of the air is determined according to where the bladeless generator will be installed. In the end, the results are verified by CFD methods in fluent software. ICEM software is used for meshing the 2-dimensional model. The Piso algorithm and kω-sst model are applied to model the airflow to solve the problem.