Mutually reinforcing performance of energy harvest and wind environment via wind turbine-solar integrated system over a bridge

This research proposes a highly efficient wind turbine-solar integrated system specifically for bridges, which cleverly combines Savonius wind turbines and solar panels to systematically enhance the aerodynamic performance of turbines and optimize the wind environment for vehicular traffic. A systematic evaluation using high-fidelity large-eddy simulation assessed power coefficient, flow field characteristics, wind load coefficient, vehicular wind environment, and carbon emissions under a wind velocity of 7 m/s. This evaluation involved exploring different installation configurations, tilt angles of solar panels, and tip speed ratios (TSRs) as variables. Results showed that the integrated system attained the highest power coefficient (Cp = 0.269) when α = 45°and TSR = 1, which was 55.5 % higher than isolated wind turbine (Cp = 0.173) but 11.8 % lower than wind turbine installed on the bridge (Cp = 0.305). The optimal configuration of integrated system reduced annual carbon emissions by up to 3282 kg, which represents an increase of 129.0 % compared to the isolated wind turbine (1,434 kg) and 30.0 % compared to the wind turbine installed on the bridge (2,524 kg). Additionally, the integrated system significantly improved the wind environment of vehicle traffic on the bridge although it slightly increased the wind force coefficient of bridge. This study provides theoretical reference and guidance for improving wind energy utilization on bridges, enhancing wind environment of vehicle traffic, and reducing carbon emissions.