A research team from India’s Dayananda Sagar College of Engineering has developed a unique energy system that resembles a real tree but functions as a hybrid solar-wind power generator. It is specially designed for places that are not connected to the main power grid.
The idea is simple but smart. This setup can generate enough electricity to power common things like lights, mobile phones, household appliances, laptops, and even electric vehicles. That’s why the researchers believe it’s perfect for future-ready green or smart cities.
For producing more electricity, the team used a system called a two-axis solar tracker that helps the solar panels move and always face the sun. It uses GPS, a compass, and a sensor to follow the sun’s movement, no matter where the system is placed. Because the panels keep turning toward the sun, they can make more power than panels that don’t move.
The full system, called the Wind-Solar Hybrid Tree (WSHT). It includes a central pole with a wind turbine on top and multiple solar panels attached to the “branches.” Some panels are fixed, while others are connected to the tracking system.
Before building the real thing, the researchers tested it using simulations in MATLAB/Simulink. The simulated setup included one fixed solar panel, one solar panel with the smart tracking system, and one wind turbine, which is based on 100 W solar panels and a 500 W wind turbine. The data came from sensors and NASA weather information.
After testing it in a computer simulation, the team made a semi-working model using two real 100 W solar panels, one fixed in place and one that moves, and a wind turbine that was simulated using data.
They tested the setup in Bengaluru, India, over four different days of the year: January 5, May 5, September 5, and December 5, from 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM. During the tests, the wind turbine ran all the time, while the solar panels were tested at different tilt angles of 18°, 15°, and 10°, either fixed or moving.
One result was that the smart tracking system did not need much energy to run. Even better, it helped the system produce more electricity. With the tracker, the hybrid tree could generate up to 444.5 watt-hours (Wh) per day, and using fixed solar panels, generate 409.5 Wh/day.
Specifically, the two-axis tracker solar panel produced 144 Wh/day, while the fixed one managed only 109 Wh/day. The wind turbine produces 300.5 Wh/day in total.
This tree-shaped hybrid power system is ideal for public places, off-grid homes, or urban areas where space is limited.
The detailed research was published in the journal Franklin Open. The research involved experts from Dayananda Sagar College of Engineering, Sri Venkateshwara College of Engineering, Jain University, and Nitte Meenakshi Institute of Technology.
Source
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2773186325001069
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