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A special issue of Sustainability (ISSN 2071-1050). This special issue belongs to the section "Energy Sustainability".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (1 March 2024) | Viewed by 22423

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Special Issue Editors

Prof. Dr. Wenzhong Shen

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Guest Editor

College of Electrical, Energy and Power Engineering, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225127, China
Interests: wind turbine aerodynamics; wind turbine aeroacoustics; wind turbine wakes; computational fluid dynamics; wind turbine design; wind farm design
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Dr. Wei Jun Zhu

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor

College of Electrical, Energy and Power Engineering, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225127, China
Interests: aerodynamics; acoustics; hydrodynamics; computational fluid dynamics

Prof. Dr. Jerson Rogério Pinheiro Vaz

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Guest Editor

Faculty of Energy Engineering, Federal University of Pará, Tv. We Vinte e Seis, N 2, Ananindeua 67130-660, PA, Brazil
Interests: hydro and wind energy technologies; aero and hydrodynamics; optimization

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Renewable energy is experiencing rapid development all over the world, including in both developed and developing countries, as a replacement for fossil energy in an attempt to alleviate global warming. This development is due not only to its beneficial characteristic of environmental friendliness but also its cost competitiveness. Renewable energy will be further developed several times over in total installations in the near future as many countries aim to reach their goal of having energy systems that are 100% renewable. The extent of such development creates great challenges as new renewable energy resources and technologies need to be further developed in order to reduce or minimize their energy costs and, thus, become more environmentally friendly. This Special Issue entitled “Renewable Energy and Future Developments” will collect and present the results of conducted research works and implementation experiences in the renewable energy area, with aim to help the development of future renewable technologies and enhance its sustainability.

For this Special Issue, original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas of interest include (but are not limited to) the following:

Wind Energy
Hydro Energy
Ocean Energy
Solar Energy
Integration of Renewable Energies
Energy Storage

We look forward to receiving your contributions.

Prof. Dr. Wenzhong Shen
Dr. Wei Jun Zhu
Prof. Dr. Jerson Rogério Pinheiro Vaz
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Sustainability is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

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Keywords

renewable energy technology
cost of energy
sustainable development

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Published Papers (10 papers)

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Research

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17 pages, 5725 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effect of Turbulence Intensity on Aerodynamic Loads of Floating Wind Turbine under Wind–Wave Coupling Effect

by Wenxin Tian, Qiang Shi, Lidong Zhang, Hehe Ren, Hongfa Yu, Yibing Chen, Zhengcong Feng and Yuan Bai

Sustainability 2024, 16(7), 2967; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16072967 - 2 Apr 2024

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1645

Abstract

This study first employs TurbSim and OpenFAST (Fatigue, Aerodynamics, Structures, Turbulence) programs for secondary development to comprehensively model the NREL-5MW semi-submersible wind turbine and OC4-DeepC wind floating platform with wind–wave interaction. Next, we investigate the dynamic response of floating wind turbines under the complex coupling of turbulent winds and irregular waves. Turbulent wind fields were simulated using the IEC Kaimal model with turbulence intensities of 5% and 20%. Additionally, two irregular waves were simulated with the Pierson–Moskowitz (P–M) spectrum. The results indicate that in turbulent wind conditions, the aerodynamic power of the wind turbine and the root bending moments of the blades are significantly influenced by turbulence, while the impact of waves is minimal. The coupled motion response of the floating platform demonstrates that turbulence intensity has the greatest impact on the platform’s heave and pitch motions, underscoring the importance of turbulence in platform stability. This study provides essential insights for designing and optimizing floating wind turbines in complex wind–wave coupling offshore environments. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Renewable Energy and Future Developments)

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15 pages, 614 KiB

Open AccessArticle

A Simplified Optimization Model for Hydrokinetic Blades with Diffuser and Swept Rotor

by Silvia C. de P. Andrade, Déborah A. T. D. do Rio Vaz and Jerson R. P. Vaz

Sustainability 2024, 16(1), 33; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16010033 - 19 Dec 2023

Viewed by 1197

Abstract

The use of a diffuser in hydrokinetic turbines can improve the power coefficient. However, the risk of cavitation in the rotor blades increases. Studies suggest that backward-curved blades can reduce the axial load on the rotor and therefore prevent cavitation. Therefore, this work develops an optimization procedure applied to backward-curved blades in hydrokinetic turbines with diffusers based on the Blade Element Momentum Theory. The main contribution is to consider both the sweep effect and the presence of a diffuser in the optimization in an innovative way. We use a radial transformation function that adjusts the radial position considering the curvature of the blade during optimization under the effect of the diffuser. The results showed that the increase in blade curvature resulted in greater chord distributions and twist angles, especially at the blade tips. The Prandtl’s loss factor was not sensitive to sweep, but the linked circulation increased at the blade tips, suggesting an increased risk of cavitation. Depending on the sweep angle, the optimized blades were able to mitigate or avoid cavitation. In particular, a sweep angle of 30

^{\circ}

eliminated cavitation. This study indicated that the proposed optimization can effectively prevent cavitation, showing satisfactory results. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Renewable Energy and Future Developments)

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21 pages, 922 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Quasi-Steady Analysis of a Small Wind Rotor with Swept Blades

by Mauro J. Guerreiro Veloso, Carlos H. P. dos Santos, Jerson R. P. Vaz and Antonio M. Chaves Neto

Sustainability 2023, 15(13), 10211; https://doi.org/10.3390/su151310211 - 27 Jun 2023

Viewed by 1280

Abstract

It is well known that wind power generation addresses the energy needs of small and remote populations as one of the alternatives to petroleum-based energy’s greenhouse effect. Although there are several publications on rotor design and performance analysis, more should be written about the starting of wind turbines, mainly the small ones, where starting can be a big issue. The present paper evaluates the impact of the swept blade angle on the aerodynamic torque, thrust force, and minimal wind speed required to start the operation of a compact horizontal-axis wind turbine. It presents a novel investigation of the influence of swept rotor blades on the starting performance of a turbine drivetrain. The methodology uses the blade element moment theory coupled to Newton’s second law, in which Palmgren’s extended approach is employed. When the proposed methodology is compared to the experimental data available in the literature, it exhibits good agreement. However, when the wind turbine starts to run, the results show that swept blades do not always enhance the torque coefficient or reduce the thrust force as indicated in some scientific papers. For backward-swept blades, the maximum value decreases 4.0%. Similar behavior is found in thrust force for forward-swept blades. Therefore, more study is required to evaluate many blade foils in several operational environments to confirm this statement. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Renewable Energy and Future Developments)

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15 pages, 7283 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Assessment of a Diffuser-Augmented Hydrokinetic Turbine Designed for Harnessing the Flow Energy Downstream of Dams

by Jerson R. P. Vaz, Adry K. F. de Lima and Erb F. Lins

Sustainability 2023, 15(9), 7671; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15097671 - 7 May 2023

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2070

Abstract

Harnessing the remaining energy downstream of dams has recently gained significant attention as the kinetic energy available in the water current is considerable. This work developed a novel study to quantify the energy gain downstream of dams using a horizontal-axis hydrokinetic turbine with a diffuser. The present assessment uses field data from the Tucuruí Dam, where a stream velocity of 2.35 m/s is the velocity at which the highest energy extraction can occur. In this case, a 3-bladed hydrokinetic turbine with a 10 m diameter, shrouded by a flanged conical diffuser, was simulated. Numerical modeling using computational fluid dynamics was carried out using the Reynolds averaged Navier–Stokes formulation with the

κ

–

ω

shear stress transport as the turbulence model. The results yield good agreement with experimental and theoretical data available in the literature. Moreover, the turbine power coefficient under the diffuser effect could increase by about 55% for a tip speed ratio of 5.4, and the power output increased by about 1.5 times when compared to the same turbine without a diffuser. Additionally, as there are no hydrokinetic turbines installed downstream of dams in the Amazon region, the present study is relevant as it explores the use of hydrokinetic turbines as an alternative for harnessing the turbined and verted flow from dams. This alternative may help avoid further environmental impacts caused by the need for structural extensions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Renewable Energy and Future Developments)

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30 pages, 3913 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Optimal Modeling and Feasibility Analysis of Grid-Interfaced Solar PV/Wind/Pumped Hydro Energy Storage Based Hybrid System

by Isaac Amoussou, Emmanuel Tanyi, Ahmed Ali, Takele Ferede Agajie, Baseem Khan, Julien Brito Ballester and Wirnkar Basil Nsanyuy

Sustainability 2023, 15(2), 1222; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15021222 - 9 Jan 2023

Cited by 20 | Viewed by 2843

Abstract

Access to inexpensive, clean energy is a key factor in a country’s ability to grow sustainably The production of electricity using fossil fuels contributes significantly to global warming and is becoming less and less profitable nowadays. This work therefore proposes to study the different possible scenarios for the replacement of light fuel oil (LFO) thermal power plants connected to the electrical network in northern Cameroon by renewable energy plants. Several scenarios such as the combination of solar photovoltaic (PV) with a pumped hydro storage system (PHSS), Wind and PHSS and PV-Wind-PHSS have been studied. The selected scenarios are evaluated based on two factors such as the system’s total cost (TC) and the loss of load probability (LOLP). To achieve the results, metaheuristics such the non-dominated sorting whale optimization algorithm (NSWOA) and non-dominated sorting genetic algorithm-II (NSGA-II) have been applied under MATLAB software. The optimal sizing of the components was done using hourly meteorological data and the hourly power generated by the thermal power plants connected to the electrical grid. Both algorithms provided satisfactory results. However, the total cost in the PV-PHSS, Wind-PHSS, and PV-Wind-PHSS scenarios with NSWOA is, respectively, 1%, 6%, and 0.2% lower than with NSGA-II. According to NSWOA results, the total cost for the PV-Wind-PHSS scenario at LOLP 0% is 4.6% and 17% less than the Wind-PHS and PV-PHSS scenarios, respectively. The profitability study of all three scenarios showed that the project is profitable regardless of the scenario considered. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Renewable Energy and Future Developments)

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18 pages, 6134 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Numerical Study on Flow and Noise Characteristics of an NACA0018 Airfoil with a Porous Trailing Edge

by Weijun Zhu, Jiaying Liu, Zhenye Sun, Jiufa Cao, Guangxing Guo and Wenzhong Shen

Sustainability 2023, 15(1), 275; https://doi.org/10.3390/su15010275 - 24 Dec 2022

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 2183

Abstract

An airfoil with a porous trailing edge has a low noise emission; thus, using a porous medium is a good technique for further reduction of wind turbine noise. In this paper, to reduce airfoil trailing edge noise while minimizing the negative influence of a porous medium on aerodynamic performance, a new filling method is proposed such that a porous medium is only used in the suction side half of the trailing edge, which is more sensitive to the noise generation. The large eddy simulation (LES) technique for flow and the Ffowcs Williams and Hawkings (FW-H) method for acoustics are used. At a Reynolds number of 2.63 × 10⁵ and various angles of attack, an NACA0018 airfoil profile with a porous trailing edge covering 20% of the chord is studied under two porous configurations, namely a fully porous and a suction-side porous trailing edge type. The results show that the flow direction, velocity magnitude, and their distributions along the boundary layer of the two porous airfoils are significantly modified due to the presence of the porous medium. The fluctuation of the pressure coefficient and the increase in the boundary layer thickness are significant at low angles of attack. As compared to the solid airfoil counterpart, the noise radiation from the newly proposed suction-side porous airfoil achieves a noise reduction of 4.3 dB at an angle of attack α = 0°, and a noise reduction of 4.07 dB at an angle of attack α = 2°. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Renewable Energy and Future Developments)

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17 pages, 6886 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Determination of the Parameters of Ground Acoustic-Impedance in Wind Farms

by Jiaying Wu, Jing Wang, Zhenye Sun, Wei Jun Zhu and Wen Zhong Shen

Sustainability 2022, 14(23), 15489; https://doi.org/10.3390/su142315489 - 22 Nov 2022

Viewed by 1353

Abstract

The ground surface near a wind turbine has a significant influence on the sound propagation from the turbine, and it is therefore important to determine the ground impedance, a quantity that characterizes the ground surface acoustically. Outdoor ground parameters required by a multi-parameter model used to calculate the ground acoustic-impedance are typically unknown, which brings inconvenience for the model use. This paper introduces a technique to determine the parameters of ground acoustic-impedance for use in a multi-parameter impedance model (for example, the Attenborough four-parameter model). The technique consists of three steps: first, the data for sound-pressure level measured at a distance from two different heights are collected, and the sound-pressure-level difference is calculated; second, in line with the experimental data and the sound-pressure-level calculation formula, the MATLAB optimization tool is used to find the optimal values of the parameters used in the impedance model; and finally, when the optimization is finished, the acoustic impedance of the ground is obtained by substituting the optimal values into the impedance model. To check the performance of the calculation, the calculated sound-pressure-level difference is compared to the experimental one. Compared with a traditional method, the technique can significantly reduce the calculation error. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Renewable Energy and Future Developments)

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13 pages, 701 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Optimization of Hydrokinetic Swept Blades

by Miriam L. A. Gemaque, Jerson R. P. Vaz and Osvaldo R. Saavedra

Sustainability 2022, 14(21), 13968; https://doi.org/10.3390/su142113968 - 27 Oct 2022

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 1666

Abstract

The hydrokinetic turbine is used worldwide for electrical generation purposes, as such a technology may strongly reduce environmental impact. Turbines designed using backward swept blades can significantly reduce the axial load, being relevant for hydro turbines. However, few works have been conducted in the literature in this regard. For the case of hydrokinetic rotors, backward swept blades are still a challenge, as the authors are unaware of any optimization procedures available, making this paper relevant for the current state of the art. Thus, the present work develops a new optimization procedure applied to hydrokinetic turbine swept blades, with the main objective being the design of blades with reduced axial load on the rotor and possibly a reduction in the cavitation. The proposed method consists of an extension of the blade element momentum theory (BEMT) to the case of backward swept blades through a radial transformation function. The method has low computational cost and easy implementation. Once it is based on the BEMT, it presents good agreement when compared to experimental data. As a result, the sweep heavily affects the chord and twist angle distributions along the blade, increasing the turbine torque and power coefficient. In the case of the torque, it can be increased by about 18%. Additionally, even though the bound circulation demonstrates a strong change for swept rotors, Prandtl’s tip loss seems to be not sensitive to the sweep effect, and alternative models are needed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Renewable Energy and Future Developments)

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22 pages, 14154 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Cavitation Inception on Hydrokinetic Turbine Blades Shrouded by Diffuser

by Hamilton Pessoa Picanço, Adry Kleber Ferreira de Lima, Déborah Aline Tavares Dias do Rio Vaz, Erb Ferreira Lins and Jerson Rogério Pinheiro Vaz

Sustainability 2022, 14(12), 7067; https://doi.org/10.3390/su14127067 - 9 Jun 2022

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2537

Abstract

Diffuser technology placed around hydrokinetic rotors may improve the conversion of the fluid’s kinetic energy into shaft power. However, rotor blades are susceptible to the phenomenon of cavitation, which can impact the overall power efficiency. This paper presents the development of a new optimization model applied to hydrokinetic blades shrouded by a diffuser. The proposed geometry optimization takes into account the effect of cavitation inception. The main contribution of this work to the state of the art is the development of an optimization procedure that takes into account the effects of diffuser efficiency,

η_{d}

, and thrust,

C_{T d}

. The authors are unaware of any other work available in the literature considering the effect of

η_{d}

and

C_{T d}

on the cavitation of shrouded hydrokinetic blades. The model uses the Blade Element Momentum Theory to seek optimized blade geometry in order to minimize or even avoid the occurrence of cavitation. The minimum pressure coefficient is used as a criterion to avoid cavitation inception. Additionally, a Computational Fluid Dynamics investigation was carried out to validate the model based on the Reynolds-Averaged Navier–Stokes formulation, using the

κ - ω

Shear-Stress Transport turbulence and Rayleigh–Plesset models, to estimate cavitation by means of water vapor production. The methodology was applied to the design of a 10 m diameter hydrokinetic rotor, rated at 250 kW of output power at a flow velocity of 2.5 m/s. An analysis of the proposed model with and without a diffuser was carried out to evaluate the changes in the optimized geometry in terms of chord and twist angle distribution. It was found that the flow around a diffuser-augmented hydrokinetic blade doubles the cavitation inception relative to the unshrouded case. Additionally, the proposed optimization model can completely remove the cavitation occurrence, making it a good alternative for the design of diffuser-augmented hydrokinetic blades free of cavitation. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Renewable Energy and Future Developments)

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Review

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28 pages, 7847 KiB

Open AccessReview

Renewable Energy from Wind Farm Power Plants in Peru: Recent Advances, Challenges, and Future Perspectives

by Carlos Cacciuttolo, Deyvis Cano, Ximena Guardia and Eunice Villicaña

Sustainability 2024, 16(4), 1589; https://doi.org/10.3390/su16041589 - 14 Feb 2024

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3915

Abstract

Peru is one of the most diverse countries in the world, and its climatic characteristics, biodiversity, cultural heritage, and location on the planet give it a vast potential for wind energy, both on its coast and within the 200 miles which comprise the Peruvian coastline on the Pacific Ocean. Likewise, the northern and central areas of the country represent the regions with the greatest potential for wind energy use. In this context, wind energy is a viable alternative to mitigate the effects of climate change in local territories and, thus, meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) outlined in the 2030 United Nations (UN) Agenda. This article presents the potential for generating wind-type electrical energy both on-shore with 20.5 GW and off-shore with 347 GW. In addition, the main advantages, benefits, and restrictions in the implementation of this type of energy plants in Peru are presented, considering the following: (i) the mitigation of climate change considering the insertion of renewable energies in the energy matrix; (ii) the potential of the available wind resource; (iii) the characterization of seven existing wind power plants, considering a total installed capacity of 668 MW; and (iv) the implementation of future wind power plants considering a portfolio of 31 projects for 7429 MW of total installed capacity projected. Finally, recent advances, challenges linked to territorial implementation, and future perspectives in developing the renewable energy sector from wind resources to address climate change are discussed. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Renewable Energy and Future Developments)

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