Deployable Renewable Power Generation System for Expeditionary, Tactical, and Other Army Applications

Current power generation for on-base micro-grids and expeditionary/tactical/disaster relief missions is dominated by diesel/gas generators which consumer large amounts of fuel.Ā Renewable energy systems have been developed, but have large physical and logistical footprints.Ā For example, solar solutions are difficult and time consuming to deploy if moderate power generation is required because of the area of solar panels required, whereas traditional wind-turbines require on-site tower erection and turbine assembly and installation.Ā This effort seeks to develop a deployable wind-turbine based system that directly tackles Army power generation needs, whilst simultaneously addressing deployment and logistical problems of contemporary designs.Ā The proposed novel self-protecting deployable variable geometry wind turbine system has a dramatically expanded operating envelope compared to current turbines, whilst simultaneously featuring furling in high-wind/storm conditions to prevent damage.Ā Moreover, furling directly facilitates rapid stowage and deployment.Ā The Phase I effort focuses on concept refinement and risk reduction by undertaking integrated system and component design to ensure that it meets the power generation, deployability, lifespan, and cost needs of Army applications.Ā Phase II would emphasize concept refinement, system integration and optimization to develop and test a rapidly deployable portable power generation system for army applications.Ā