Instrumentation of a Co-Storage System for Small-Scale Wind Energy Management

Abstract

For small-scale wind turbines, the significant stochastic nature of wind speed and wind energy generation pose challenges of intermittency for load-balancing and grid integration. Energy storage systems, especially when employed in tandem as co-storage, can be used to manage intermittency characteristics. With the goal of providing a glimpse into the behavior of a small-scale wind turbine and co-storage system, this paper endeavors to illustrate the architecture and instrumentation of a simple and practical system. The energy system employed a 600-Watt horizontal-axis wind turbine and a co-storage system consisting of a 48-Volt lead-acid battery array and 22-kilogram kinetic flywheel. Data was collected on voltage, current, and period to provide insight into the behavior of the system components in isolation and when coordinated. The results, illustrating the stochastic fluctuations of wind energy generation, demonstrate the need for power management controls to render the energy from small-scale wind generators valuable.