BUILDING THE FRAMEWORK FOR HURRICANE CHASER---A CONCEPTUAL WIND-ENERGY HARVESTING VEHICLE

Talking and Walking

Sustainability Conference, NZSSES 2007

By

Dr. Donald D. Liou

University of North Carolina at Charlotte

U.S.A.

2004, A Year of Record Hurricanes

• 27 named hurricanes, including Katrina, Rita and Wilma

• Katrina killed more than 1,000 people, and left New Orleans in ruin (the most costliest in US)

• Wind of Wilma reached 185 miles per hour (87 m/s) at sea, and 120 miles (54 m/s) per hour at land

• A continuation of hurricane baby-boom since 1995 (at least 9 out of 12 past seasons)

• An indication of the grim possibility that global warming is making the storms stronger

A Satellite Image of Katrina Near Miami Florida

Common Characteristics of Hurricanes

• Like smoke up in a chimney, send moist air from warm ocean (80F or 29C) toward frigid upper atmosphere (50,000 ft or 15,000 m or more)

• Wide span (650 miles or 1,040 km across)• Slow moving (Eye speed=15-20 mph or 7-9 m/s)• Long duration (up to 1 week)• Fuelled by warm water supply• Packed with power (Average=1.5 trillion watts,

half of world’s electricity generating capacity)• Die after landfall

Wind Energy As A Renewable Energy Source in USA

Factors in Favor of Developing Hurricane Chasers

• Meteorological hurricane scales are well-defined (Saffir-Simpson Scales 1-5), which provide good reference points

• Improvements in forecast of hurricanes (23 mph or 10m/s error in wind-speed, 70 miles or 112 km in 1-day forecast of storm position)

• Re-emergence of utility-scale wind-power industry in US

• Offshore wind-power farm projects in Europe• Bush administration is in need of a domestic

agenda

Some Data from Offshore Wind Farms

• Europe lead the world in development

• Mainly in Baltic and North Sea

• London Array in Thames Estuary to have 1,000 WM, using 3 MW turbines

• Cost in 2006 was $3,000,000 per MW

• Issues include cost of offshore installation, availability and volatility in material prices, capricious offshore environment

A Possible Hurricane Chaser Configuration?

Concept of a Hurricane Chaser

• Similar to commercial fishing or whaling ships• Design for long voyage (30 days) in rough ocean

(18 ft or 5.5 m storm surge) and strong wind (155 mph or 70 m/s)

• Capable of carrying and operating large rotor (128-157 ft long), high tower (400-500 ft tall), utility-scale (1.5 megawatt) machines

• Can follow hurricanes like a 15th-century armada followed trade winds

Full Pressure-efficiency Chart of Air Compressor

Partial Pressure-Efficiency Chart of Air Compressor

Average Eye Speed of Katrina

Framework for the Conceptual Wind-energy Harvester

• An un-orthodox design paradigm• Re-configuring existing wind turbines• Define basic vehicular configuration• Define performance specifications• Translating meteorological data to navigation

guides• Searching for suitable materials• Develop power storage and distribution systems

Conclusions

• Hurricane chaser concept introduced

• Factors for development favorable

• The political timing for development fair

• Open up a new technological front for competition

• Potential for a new industry to emerge

• Any questions?