JOIN USRoystan Vijay Castelino, a student of Sreenivas Institute of Technology (SIT), Mangaluru, won the Gandhian Young Technological Innovation Award in New Delhi on Sunday for his project on high altitude wind energy project using kite, which he claims to be a revolution in renewable energy.
The project was undertaken in 2015 as part of his final year BE (Electrical and Electronics Engineering) course under the guidance of Prof Lokesh B. The objective was to increase efficiency of wind power generation, make it more economical and help in rural electrification. Castelino stumbled upon the idea when he saw a man controlling a kite on the beach.
He said, “Under the existing wind power system, trees are cut often and windmills have an impact on the ecology. Wind energy using kite works on the principle of converting kinetic energy (pulling force) to rotational motion. With an increase in altitude, wind increases and this can generate more power compared to traditional wind turbines. This is trapped in a power kite and harvesting of energy is possible even at inaccessible locations such as offshore and elevated areas and at lesser installation costs.”
A four-line power or parafoil kite was ordered from China and materials used for project were bicycle parts, crank wheels (which formed the chain drive) and bicycle sprockets. The generator is made by modifying the ceiling fan with permanent magnets. Threads are wound over the rims of the bicycle for easy controlling. Wireless transmitter/receiver circuit controls the motor for handling of the kite and for winding back the thread. Chain drive is used to increase the speed economically.
Using a eight shape figure in the sky, energy is maximised and then stored in the battery in power phase, while in recovery phase, 17W of energy is spent for winding and controlling the thread.
The project was tested using a 4.5 m long kite on the beach, where the wind speed was approximately 10 m/s. During this test, the power output obtained was 300W at high wind speeds and 200W at nominal wind speeds.
The idea has won the project of the year award by the Karnataka State Council for Science and Technology conducted by the Indian Institute Of Science (IISc), Bengaluru, last year.
Castelino wishes to call his project, 'Winds of Change'.
“If implemented, it will certainly bring a revolution in renewable energy,” he claimed.
He will also be applying for the patent for his innovation within a week.
DH News Service