A Micro Turbine Blade Design for Urban Use Optimized with Fractal Geometry and Miura-Ori Folding Principles, Converting Vibration and Noise into Energy Using Piezoelectric and Triboelectric Materials

Abstract

This study theoretically investigates an innovative micro wind turbine blade design that can operate with high efficiency in low-speed and turbulent wind conditions in urban environments, while also converting idle vibration and noise energy into electricity. The proposed design integrates fractal geometry to increase aerodynamic efficiency, Miura-Ori folding principles to ensure structural integrity and lightness, and piezoelectric and triboelectric materials for multi-mode energy harvesting. Evaluated within a counter-rotating system configuration, this blade design aims to offer a new paradigm for sustainable energy production in urban areas. The study also developed the Türkî asymmetric fractal (TAF) model as an alternative to the classical Koch fractal. The Koch fractal defines a trailing edge produced by fully symmetric subdivisions; however, this symmetry can cause boundary layer separation in fluid dynamics. The TAF approach breaks this symmetry by adding phase-offset angular deviations to the fractal generation process and produces micro-scale directional variations, offering a quasi-fractal approach; thus, it presents a new engineering paradigm in the symmetry–asymmetry transition field. The results obtained show that the normalized edge length of the classical Koch fractal is 2.370, while that of the TAF geometry is 2.684. Thus, a surface increase of approximately 13.25% has been achieved. This increase has the potential to increase the potential energy conversion efficiency by expanding the flow interaction area of the fractal surface.

Keywords

• Micro wind turbine
• Fractal geometry
• Miura-Ori
• Piezoelectric energy harvesting
• Triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG)

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