A True Hybrid Solar Wind Turbine Electric Generator System for Smaller Hybrid Renewable Energy Power Plants

Contemporary Hybrid Solar-Wind farms are implemented using separate solar Photovoltaic (PV) cell arrays and wind turbines, where electricity generated from both devices are combined. However, this solution requires a large amount of space to cater for the PV arrays and wind turbines of the system. This paper proposes a new type of renewable energy electric generator with a small power production footprint (PPF) that allows reduction in land usage. The technology introduced in this True Hybrid Wind-Solar (THWS) generator allows for the solar panels to rotate along with a VAWT wind turbine it is attached to through a specially designed electromechanical coupling mechanism. The working principal behind the connections described in this paper. The design of a hybrid circuit module that serves to combine current generated via the solar cells and wind generator and also automatically disconnects inactive wind or solar generators is also described. This is important in order to eliminate unwanted loads generated from the inactive generators from within the THWS itself.