Investigation of wind energy usage for heating buildings by applying a hydraulic system

Author, Institution: Jurgita Černeckienė, Kaunas University of Technology

Science Area, Field of Science: Technological Sciences, Civil Engineering  – 02T

Scientific Supervisor: Prof. dr. Tadas ŽDANKUS (Kaunas University of Technology, Technological Sciences, Civil Engineering (02T).

Dissertation Defence Board of Civil Engineering Science Field:
Prof. Dr. Raimondas BLIŪDŽIUS (Kaunas University of Technology, Technological Sciences, Civil Engineering, 02T) – chairman;
Dr. Karolis BANIONIS (Kaunas University of Technology, Technological Sciences, Civil Engineering, 02T);
Dr. Demetri BOURIS (National Technical University of Athens, Technological Sciences, Civil Engineering, 02T);
Dr. Eugenijus PEREDNIS (Lithuanian Energy Institute, Technological Sciences, Energetics and Power Engineering, 06T);
Prof. Dr. Petras PUNYS (Aleksandras Stulginskis University, Technological Sciences, Environmental Engineering, 04T).

The doctoral dissertation is available at the libraries of Kaunas University of Technology (K. Donelaičio g. 20,Kaunas)

Annotation:
The aim of the dissertation was to analyse the possibility of converting wind energy into thermal energy and applying it to satisfy the demand of thermal energy in energy-efficient buildings which convert mechanical wind energy into thermal energy by using a hydraulic device. Few tasks were realised during the research, such as evaluating the demands of heating and ventilation energy as well as the demands of installation power for energy-efficient buildings, analysing the dynamics of annual wind energy potential in a few typical districts according to wind energy in Lithuania and its correspondence to the demand of thermal energy for the building, determining the working curves of a hydraulic device for different operating modes of the hydraulic system by simulating the wind effect experimentally with an electric motor. Also the analysis of possibilities of automatic control of the hydraulic system by evaluating the specifications of energy conversion with the hydraulic system was made and an algorithm, according to which the wind energy converted to thermal energy can be integrated into the building heating system, was created. In order to use wind as a renewable energy source for building heating, an experimental heat-generating hydraulic system was designed and the optimal system performance regimes were determined. The performance of the hydraulic system was evaluated including low wind speed range performance which is relevant for the Lithuanian climate conditions. The results of research and the algorithm for the integration of wind energy into the building heating system extend the scopes of civil engineering science branch.