Generate electricity by exploiting unexpected wind sources such as fans to cool household appliances or energy-intensive data centers? It is not utopia but a new method to obtain electricity from the waste wind generated by cooling machines
A team composed of two electrical engineers from the Distance Learning University of Madrid and a colleague from Mision Critica – Data Center of ZFB Technology Services in Colombia has developed an innovative methodology to generate electricity using small turbines powered by artificial wind sources.
In the study published on Scientific ReportsIsabel Gil-García, Ana Fernández-Guillamón, and Álvaro Montes-Torres describe their approach to harvesting energy from human-made air currents. They tested the methodology using wind generated by the cooling unit in a data center in Colombia. This approach is part of a growing trend to capture wind energy lost in various environments, such as wind generated by fans in HVAC systems.
The process of harvesting artificial wind energy
The methodology involves four phases. First, you identify an artificial source, such as a ship, truck, or fan. Subsequently, we measure how much wind energy is generated and how much remains available. With an anemometer, researchers can calculate how much wind is actually useful for producing electricity. Finally, the potential energy is evaluated and the most suitable technology, such as a turbine, is chosen for collecting this energy.
In the Colombian data center, the team chose light and compact Tesup V7 turbines to install above the chiller fans. Thanks to this arrangement, they achieved an annual energy production of 513.82 MWh, which, considering fan consumption, led to a net reduction of 467.6 MWh in electricity consumption.
