Converting wind energy to electrical energy using charged droplets in an electric field

Conversion of wind energy to electrical energy can be achieved when charged droplets are transported against the direction of an electric field. This method is used in an electrostatic wind energy converter (EWICON). The charged droplets can either be created using electrohydrodynamic atomisation (EHDA) or by high pressure monodisperse spraying (HPMS) in combination with induction charging. In this paper, these two spraying methods have been implemented in the EWICON system using water as a spraying liquid. Both methods have yielded a positive efficiency.