Participants Name : Bhuvan Bagwe
Pitch of the Project ( Text ) :
Problem : Railway locomotives travel at an average velocity of 90-110 km/h (outside station areas) which results in generation of high speed slipstream due to atmospheric drag faced by the locomotives. This results in the generation of high speed winds reaching speeds of up to 22-25 m/s. The wind energy generated from these locomotives can be utilized to generate electricity.
Solution : We propose the use of a modified version of a Helical Darrieus vertical axis wind turbine to be placed adjacent to the railway tracks at a safe distance to generate electricity from the wasted energy from railway locomotives and use it to power various systems in the vicinity. These turbines use wasted energy in the form of wind and do not induce any drag on the train.
Our design uses a vertical axis wind turbine which is best suited for this application because of the limited space that it requires. Further advantage of the design is that, helical lift driven VAWT is well suited for high wind speed operations in comparison to traditional drag based wind turbines. A study was conducted to conclude that design of this rotor configuration did not induce any drag on the train due to the presence of the turbine.
Business Viablity :
Our Vertical Axis Wind Turbine units will be set up along the railway tracks for an upfront unit cost along with maintenance charges covering any damage to wing/blades or support systems, battery replacement, generator maintenance, solar panel cleaning, etc. These services will be provided during semi-annual mega-blocks and will generate a recurring revenue to help the business sustain in long term.
Youtube Video Pitch : https://youtu.be/3hZ2I5goJuk
Prototype Demonstration : https://youtu.be/SPRo8V5Hav8
Our existing prototype is undergoing tests to validate the feasibility of this idea for the mentioned application. We are determined to take action against climate change by optimizing our current systems for minimal loss. Thereby decreasing the overall greenhouse emissions caused by energy production. India itself has got a railway line extending to about 63000 kilometers, with over 14000 trains running every day. Considering the placement of one such Helical VAWT even at an interval of about 100 meters from each other, producing an output power of 50W/each ,and placing 60k of such units, the total power generation can reach up to 30 Megawatts, solely generated from wasted energy.
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