Design, construction and testing of a 130w wind-powered air compressor system for operation in zaria, nigeria

Project Abstract

<p> </p><h2></h2> A wind rotor system to power a rotary air compressor of maximum discharge pressure of 3.53<br>barg, a free air delivery (FAD) of 0.001179 m3/s at maximum pressure, and a nominal power<br>requirement of 130W was designed, constructed and tested.<br>The wind air compressor system included a wind rotor, a transmission mechanism, an air<br>compressor and a storage reservoir.<br>The wind rotor was coupled to a selected air compressor and tested at Ahmadu Bello<br>University, Zaria, Kaduna State, Nigeria.<br>The compressor discharge pressure and flow rate increased with an increase in the wind<br>velocity. A discharge pressure of 1.0barg was obtained during the testing period at the rated<br>wind velocity of 5.10 m/s. A maximum compressor capacity of 0.000833 m3/s at a discharge<br>pressure of 2.0 barg and a wind velocity of 7.90 m/s was obtained.<br>At the rated wind velocity of 5.10 m/s, the power output was calculated as 98.56 W.<br>The overall efficiency increased as the wind velocity increased until it reached a maximum of<br>27.6 % and then started to decrease gradually thereafter to a minimum of 7.6 %.The actual<br>efficiency of the system was found to be 24.2% at the rated wind velocity of 5.10m/s<br>compared to the design efficiency of the system of 35 %.<br>The installed capital costs for the 130W wind air compressor was N61,150.00. <br><p></p>

Project Overview

<p> INTRODUCTION<br>1.1 Background<br>Nigeria, a developing nation of 140 million (2006 census) with a growth rate of 3.20 %<br>(Energy Commission of Nigeria, 2013), has an installed production capacity of about 6,000<br>MW of power as at 2009 (Sambo, 2009). In 2012, the installed production capacity stood at<br>9,955.4 MW with an average availability of 5, 516.38MW (Energy Commission of Nigeria,<br>2013). The estimated daily power generation as at December, 2009 was about 3,700MW<br>while the peak load forecast for the same period was 5,103 MW, based on existing<br>connections to the grid (Nigeria Vision 20-2020, 2010). The Business day Newspaper of 21st<br>July, 2009 reported that manufacturers alone require about 2,000MW to power their factories,<br>based on installed capacities as at 2009. The power requirements of the nation have been<br>projected at 28,360MW by 2015 at a modest economic growth of 7% (Sambo, 2009). There<br>is, therefore, a need to bridge this energy gap.<br>“Fossil” fuel driven machines are used all over the country to augment supply to meet these<br>power requirements. The Energy Commission of Nigeria estimated that fuel driven machines<br>provide about 42% of the power needs of the country between the year 2000 and 2004<br>(Sambo, 2008). The Nigerian Tribune Newspaper of 21st August, 2009 estimated a daily<br>diesel consumption of 13 million litres. The Vanguard of October, 2010 reported that the<br>Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) estimated that about $13bn (N1.989trillion) per annum is<br>expended on diesel for power generation. The use of fossil fuels adds to the carbon emissions<br>in the world with their devastating effect such as global warming and acid rain to mention a<br>few. It is an established fact that fossil fuels are an irreversible source of energy and their<br>supply is depleting. In fact, the continued unrest in the Middle East creates an oil shortfall<br>around the world. From February to April, 2011, crude oil prices have surpassed $120/bbl<br>2<br>with oil prices reaching the $5 mark in the United States. Oil demand increase is expected to<br>be about 40% over the next 20 years. Oil supply increase in the world is not likely to be 50%<br>over the next 30 years (Cambridge Energy Research Associate(CERA), 2011). There is,<br>therefore, a need for reliable, available systems to power light commercial applications such<br>as production of compressed air for pressurizing tyres, powering pneumatic tools for paint<br>spraying, drilling, etc.<br>The wind pump, used for centuries to lift water, but largely abandoned after the introduction<br>of engine-driven pumps (generally fuelled by diesel or kerosene) and electric pumps, is now<br>being reconsidered as one of several alternative technologies that can be used for these light<br>applications. The classic multi bladed windmill that was a familiar sight in the Great Plains of<br>the US until the 1940s is still being manufactured today. However, engineers have recently<br>begun to make improvements to the design of these pumps, and adapt them for use in<br>developing countries specifically for water lifting.<br>Automotive industries in Nigeria on the average pressurise one and a half million tyres each<br>year based on registered cars in Nigeria as provided by the Federal Road safety Corps in its<br>2013 annual report. This is currently achieved using air compressors mostly powered by<br>fossil fuel fired generators. Typical cost for the purchase of the fuel is inhibitive especially<br>with the partial removal of subsidy by the government in December, 2013.. The fuel<br>unavailability in Nigeria is also an inhibiting factor.<br>In view of the above, the use of renewable energy sources such as wind, solar, biomass, etc to<br>produce “clean” and sustainable energy for domestic uses is considered timely and necessary.<br>1.2 Statement of the Problem<br>Hundreds of vulcanisers litter the Nigerian streets today with car air condition compressors<br>converted to air compressors for car tyre pressurising. These compressors are mostly powered<br>by 3 hp engines powered by fossil fuels. A walk around revealed about 20 of these 3 hp<br>3<br>engines in use in surrounding environs (about a geographical area of 4km2) of Ahmadu Bello<br>University, Zaria main campus of Samaru. It is clear that these vulcanisers do not have any<br>other source of energy apart from these engines. Each of these engines requires about 6 litres<br>of petrol. The green house emission is estimated at about 300 kg of CO2 gas per day (1litre of<br>petrol produces about 2.3 kg of CO2 when burnt) (Lawrence and Thomas, 2011). This is<br>besides the noise emission as well as the economic drain on the country for this domestic use<br>of a “highly” subsidised resource. It is also worthy of note that majority of these vulcanisers<br>cannot even afford these fossil fuel fired compressors.<br>Equally, other heavy users of compressed air such as car service stations, car assembly<br>factories such as Peugeot Automobile Nigeria (PAN), furniture factories, etc. produce their<br>own enormous quarter of emissions from their fossil fuel powered compressors.<br>In summary, the present scenario leads to a huge greenhouse gas emission with its<br>devastating effect, noise pollution, and “wastage” of a “highly” subsidized resource.<br>1.3 The Present Work<br>Past Works on wind energy utilization reviewed, that involved the use of Compressed air,<br>concentrated on its use as an energy storage medium in an electric power supply grid.<br>Most of the reviewed works focus on the production of electricity from the wind, which is<br>then converted to mechanical power for air compression using an electric air compressor.<br>Also none of the works reviewed have used wind energy for air compression for day to day<br>uses to the best of my knowledge.<br>This work utilised the wind as an energy source to produce “clean” compressed air. The<br>produced compressed air was then stored in reservoirs for sale in “units” of compressed air to<br>various users. The design was for operation in Zaria, Kaduna state.<br>The focus was on direct conversion of wind energy to mechanical power in the shaft of an air<br>compressor. The losses associated with the conversion first to electric power and then to<br>4<br>mechanical power were avoided. The costs of electrical components necessary for conversion<br>to electric power were also eliminated.<br>1.4 Aim and Objectives<br>The aim of this work is to design, construct and test a wind air compression system of 130 W<br>for the purpose of producing compressed air of 3.45 barg in Zaria, Kaduna State.<br>The specific objectives are:<br>i. to carry out a design analysis for the wind rotor and a suitable transmission system for<br>the wind compressor system.<br>ii. to select appropriate materials for the wind compressor system.<br>iii. to construct and/or procure the components of the system.<br>iv. to evaluate the performance of the system.<br>v. to estimate the cost of a prototype of the system.<br>1.5 Significance of Work<br>The use of wind power as a replacement for fossil fuels would make Nigeria’s energy use<br>greener which would reduce our carbon emissions. This would substantially reduce Nigeria’s<br>contribution to global warming.<br>The burning of fossils fuels also results in the formation of sulphur and nitrogen oxides which<br>are released. These compounds combine with atmospheric moisture to form acids, leading to<br>‘acid rain’. This can lead to destruction of forests and the progressive erosion of rock and<br>masonry structures, both natural and man-made. The use of wind energy as an alternative<br>helps reduce this impact.<br>5<br>This work would reduce noise pollution in the Nigerian society.<br>It would help to increase Nigeria’s industrial output.<br>It would serve as a source of income for the “compressed air from wind” investors.<br>It would free the scarce resource of local vulcanisers for more profitable use helping with the<br>governments’ poverty reduction program.<br>The work will reduce domestic use of fossil fuels (a highly subsidised resource in Nigeria)<br>for compressed air production, allowing its use for more pertinent purposes like power<br>production in remote locations for medical purposes example.<br>6 <br></p>