Course Content

1. Introduction

With the rising emphasis on clean and renewable energy sources, wind power has become an essential part of sustainable infrastructure. Highways, especially in open terrains, are exposed to constant vehicle-induced and natural winds, making them viable locations for micro wind turbines. Monitoring the wind energy parameters (like wind speed, voltage, current, and power generated) along highways helps assess energy harvesting potential and maintain system performance.

This project focuses on building a system using sensors and a microcontroller to continuously monitor and log wind-related parameters. The collected data can help optimize turbine placement, assess maintenance needs, and integrate renewable power into the highway infrastructure (e.g., lighting, signage, emergency systems).

2. Working Principle

The system is designed to measure wind-related electrical and environmental parameters using various sensors interfaced with a microcontroller (such as Arduino or Raspberry Pi). Here's how it works:

• A wind turbine generates electricity when wind flows through its blades.

• The voltage and current sensors measure the electrical output from the turbine.

• An anemometer (wind speed sensor) measures wind speed.

• A microcontroller collects data from all the sensors and processes it.

• The processed data is displayed on an LCD and optionally sent to a remote monitoring system using wireless communication (like Wi-Fi or GSM).

This allows real-time monitoring and efficient utilization of wind-generated energy on highways.

3. Methodology

🔹 Step 1: Energy Generation

• Install a micro wind turbine on or near the highway to harness wind energy.

🔹 Step 2: Sensor Data Collection

• Use an anemometer to measure wind speed.

• Use voltage and current sensors to measure the electrical output of the turbine.

🔹 Step 3: Data Processing

• A microcontroller reads sensor values, calculates real-time power using:
  Power = Voltage × Current

• Wind speed readings are used to correlate turbine performance with environmental conditions.

🔹 Step 4: Data Display and Communication

• Display key values (wind speed, voltage, current, and power) on an LCD.

• Optionally send the data via:

  • Wi-Fi (ESP8266/ESP32) to IoT dashboards like Blynk/ThingSpeak

  • GSM module for SMS alerts in remote areas

🔹 Step 5: Logging and Alerts

• Store or transmit data for performance analysis and early fault detection.

4. Components Used and Explanation