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A micro wind turbine generator (MWTG) that can generate power at low wind speeds (5–6 kmph) is being researched at Andhra University (AU).
The micro turbine could be mounted on a terrace like a TV aerial, on street and highway lights, agricultural pumps, and traffic signals despite not having a gearbox like larger wind turbines. Both the economy and India’s carbon credits will be considerably boosted. The MWTGT, unlike solar panels, does not require a battery to store energy; instead, it can be connected to a domestic invertor or a UPS.
In coastal towns like Visakhapatnam, Mangaluru, Mumbai, Goa, Chennai, and Kochi, where wind speed is adequate and accessible all day in all weather situations, it is ideal for the terrain.
The MWTG study was started at the Department of Electrical Engineering in AU two years ago by project colleagues working under the direction of project director P. Mallikarjuna Rao.
Prof. Rao claimed in an interview with The Hindu that just 30% of the day was spent in sunshine, but that (in coastal areas) wind blew constantly. Additionally, only 2.5% of the 1.484 x 1018 kWh of solar energy that the Earth receives each year is converted into kinetic energy. He said that 2.5×1014 kWh may be used to measure the entire kinetic energy of wind.
In addition to a newly created PM Synchronous Generator configuration ideal for grid applications like household, street, and highway lighting, the concept includes a miniature vertical axis wind turbine.
Instead of a gearbox, according to Prof. Rao, they created a system for which they were seeking patent rights. To introduce this Made-in-India product to society as soon as possible, he continued, “We are seeking the assistance of government and private financial resource persons or organisations.”
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