Reaching New Efficiency Milestones in Low‐Speed Wind Energy Harvesting via Noncontact Stackable Ion‐Gate‐Based Static Discharge Generator

This paper reports an ion-gate-based static discharge generator with a charge suppliance turbine that can generate high power output with the avalanche effect of Townsend discharge and a noncontact stackable rotational structure. With Savonius wind blade, ion-gate-based static discharge generator reaches new efficiency milestones in low-speed wind energy harvesting under 4 m s⁻¹ of wind speed.

Abstract

Wind energy harvesting is attracting increasing interest owing to the growing global electric energy production. However, energy generation using existing wind turbines is deficient compared to the potential of wind energy owing to less-efficient wind turbines operating at low wind speeds. Therefore, an ion-gate-based static discharge generator (ISDG) with a charge suppliance turbine (CST) for efficient low-speed wind energy harvesting is introduced. CST comprises a charge suppliance rotator (CSR) and Savonius wind blades, where the CSR generates electrical charges for inducing Townsend discharge at the ion gate; thus, the current output gets enhanced owing to an avalanche effect. Additionally, the CSR in the CST can be operated with a stacked structure and noncontact movement, allowing the device to generate high power with a low input. Thus, an ISDG comprising CST can generate electricity with wind blowing at 3 and 4 m s⁻¹ at high efficiencies of 21.9% and 32.8%, respectively.