Alternative Energy Projects - Using Convection Currents for Generation of Electricity

To make people's lives easier, it is necessary to be able to use basic technologies and ideas, one of which can be a tube that generates electricity with convection currents induced by solar energy to use for homes when electricity is not available. The main goal of this project is to design a simple and cheap device that is suitable for the residential market that can generate electricity through convective currents. This study tests the technical feasibility of generating electricity through artificially induced convective currents flowing through a tube. Comparing some alternatives in the design of such tubes for strength and sustainability of the induced convection current will be the subject of some mathematical simulations using ANSYS simulation software. Keep in mind that ANSYS Fluent does not have a specific analytical solution for modeling natural convection, but it arises from the direct solution of Navier-Stocks and energy differential equations. Also, we have considered a pipe with length of 4 meters, a diameter of 0.15 meters, and a wall thickness of 0.02 meters for a family whose average power consumption is approximately 900 kW per month in a one-story house or apartment. We examined this simulation at air velocities of 0.1 m/s, 0.3 m/s, 0.5 m/s.1 m/s, 1.5 m/s, 2 m/s. In this project, we examined three materials: PVC, steel, and aluminum. We examined the information and prices of these three items to get the final result more carefully. The tubes we simulated with those dimensions were examined in various shapes such as plain, conical, spiral, ribbed, perforated, cubic, and venturi to produce 1kWh of electricity with the help of convection current and a generator of electricity. We examined the types of wind generators in small sizes that can be easily purchased from family markets and in the cheapest case so that this generator can be easily installed and used. Best results in the simulated options were obtained with a ribbed pipe design, with an estimated cost of $ 275.00.