Wind-Powered Vehicle Project: Design, Construction and Analysis

This project report details the design, construction, and analysis of a wind-powered vehicle, addressing the need for sustainable transportation solutions. The project aimed to design and build a vehicle powered solely by wind energy, focusing on energy conservation and minimizing greenhouse gas e...Read More

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WIND-POWERED VEHICLE PROJECT
By Name
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Institution
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Table of Contents
Introduction......................................................................................................................................1
Project background..........................................................................................................................2
Project statement..............................................................................................................................3
Aims and objects of the study..........................................................................................................3
The significance of the project........................................................................................................3
Final Design.....................................................................................................................................4
Discussions......................................................................................................................................5
Conclusion.......................................................................................................................................5
References........................................................................................................................................6
Appendices......................................................................................................................................6

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Wind-powered vehicle project
Introduction
The transportation industry is strongly linked with the key problems in environment starting
from the human health, economy to climate change. Concerns such as, parking space, fuel cost
and traffic have made life more challenging, mostly in the dense urban environment (Hoornweg,
Sugar and Gomez, 2011). Hence there is a necessity for the development of the wind-powered
vehicle. The cars in most urban areas have increased in that current transportation system cannot
accommodate them. With the increase in a number of vehicles, it does affect not only the city
dwellers but also the environment, Through the noise and air pollution. In this report, a vehicle
which is powered by wind energy will be developed to facilitate environmental conservation and
at the same help in solving the problem of insufficient fossil fuels. Wind-powered vehicles
mainly use wind turbines which are located at the strategic point of the vehicle. The wind power
wind is at the turbines is converted into mechanical energy via belts, chains, and gears, thus
making the vehicle to move forward (Gasch and Twele 2011).
Project background
Even though the wind-powered vehicles were traditionally associated with seafaring vehicles
which until the discovery of steam engine depended on the wind to sail them to their given
destinations
Most of the modern vehicles in the market are not energy efficient, and they contribute greatly to
the greenhouse gases. With that, the modern transport needs some modifications where the users
can be allowed to make different commute options. By developing a wind energy powered
vehicles, the energy effectiveness can be enhanced and the expenses, as well as the generation of

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greenhouse gases minimized. A new time in the transportation industry is required, whereby
designing, building and optimizing technologies to facilitate the development of wind energy
driven vehicles and at the same time prove their benefits everyday life (Kumar et al. 2016).
This project is relevant to the areas of energy conservation and issues related to climate change.
There is a fast urgency in the world to meet the increasing threats of depleting fossil fuels, global
warming, and energy security. There are numerous efforts which have been in place across the
globe to solve these challenges and mitigate the treats. This project is one step toward a safer,
better, greener and cleaner planet.
Project statement
This project is carefully crafted on how to design a vehicle which is powered by wind energy.
With that the project will focus only on how to achieve that with that various methods and
techniques will be used to gather the relevant information related to the development of wind-
powered vehicles. The project will be aimed at solving some of the challenges which have been
brought by the use of the modern fuel powered vehicles which are greatly contributing to the
most of the challenges experienced currently such as depletion of fossil fuels and global
warming.
Aims and objects of the study
The main aim of this project was to Design and construct a vehicle which is driven by wind
energy.
With that, the following objectives were to assist in achieving the main aim of the project
 Investigate the effects of design parameters on the performance of a vehicle
 Put in place a microcontroller based data acquisition system

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 Documenting the final vehicle performance and design
 Demonstrate the understanding of the mechatronic
 Dissemble vehicle and dispose of the components appropriately
The significance of the project
The findings of this project will be of great importance to the people whom are involved in the
design and production of wind-powered vehicles and at the same the development of wind-
powered vehicles will greatly help to boost the efforts which are being put in place to solve the
problems caused by modern vehicles which are not energy efficient and releases high amounts of
greenhouse gases.
Wind power refers to the use of air which flows through wind turbines to mechanically power
generator to produce electricity. Wind power is an alternative to the fossil fuel as a source of
energy, and it is much reliable since it is plentiful, widely distributed, renewable, clean and does
not produce greenhouse gases (Foley, Leahy and McKeogh 2012).
Final Design
The final design and construction involved a vehicle which was able to start from rest and move
into the wind by using the wind energy as the only source of energy.
The vehicle was able to carry a payload across a truck for approximately 2m.
The payload was only consisting of the gym equipment weights which were provided in the
mechanical design studio

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The payload was easily added to and removed from the wind-powered vehicle to facilitate
weighing, but it was wholly within or on the vehicle, and it travelled for the full 2m with the
vehicle
The vehicle was , and it remained substantially in contact with the ground at all the time,
The vehicle maximized the ratio of the payload to the time which was taken to cover the distance
of 2m.
The mechatronic module comprised a microcontroller based data acquisition system
The turbine and wheel speed were both measured, recorded, and retrieved for further analysis
and processing
The data acquisition started when the button was pressed and then stopped automatically at the
end of the track
Discussions
If the wind is directed to the wind turbine blades properly. The operations of the Wind-powered
vehicles can be optimum. The desired direction of the wind can be obtained ways of channeling
wind, channeling of the wind in the desired direction can be achieved by using of at least one
pyramid shaped or truncated cone housing converging toward the blades of the wind turbine.
That is aimed at inducing more wind in the direction of the turbine. For the purpose of
conserving energy and utilizing it at best, the vehicles can be fixed with batteries which will be
charged from the wind turbines and later on to be used when the amount of wind is low (Foley,
Leahy and McKeogh 2012).

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Conclusion
In conclusion, after making the final completion on the project, it was clear that the project was
working. It was found out that the Wind power refers to the use of air which flows through wind
turbines to mechanically power generator to produce electricity. Wind power is an alternative to
the fossil fuel as a source of energy, and it is much reliable since it is plentiful, widely
distributed, renewable, clean and does not produce greenhouse gases.
Wind-powered vehicles mainly use wind turbines which are located at the strategic point of the
vehicle. The wind power wind is at the turbines is converted into mechanical energy via belts,
chains, and gears, thus making the vehicle to move forward. There is huge potential for
electricity production from the renewable sources which can play a very significant role in
boosting the efforts put in place to solve the threats associated with the use of modern fuel
vehicles. This report gives a clear idea that the wind-powered vehicles are much efficient than
fuel powered vehicles.

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References
Foley, A.M., Leahy, P.G.and McKeogh, E.J., 2012. Current methods and advances in forecasting
of wind power generation. Renewable Energy, 37(1), pp.1-8
Gasch, R. and Twelve, J. eds., 2011. Wind power plants: fundamentals, design, construction,
and operation. Springer Science & Business Media.
Hoornweg, D., Sugar, L. and Trejos Gomez, C.L., 2011. Cities and greenhouse gas emissions:
moving forward. Environment and Urbanization, 23(1), pp.207-227.
Kumar, Y., Ringenberg, J., Depuru, S.S., Devabhaktuni, V.K., Lee, J.W., Nikolaidis, E.,
Andersen, B. and Afjeh, A., 2016. Wind energy: Trends and enabling technologies. Renewable
and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 53, pp.209-224.

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Appendices

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