IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jsusta/v13y2021i7p3854-d527537.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Improvement of Self-Starting Capabilities of Vertical Axis Wind Turbines with New Design of Turbine Blades

Author

Listed:
  • Samuel Mitchell

    (Department of Mechanical Engineering, Kingston University, London SW15 3DW, UK
    Kingston University, London SW15 3DW, UK.
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

  • Iheanyichukwu Ogbonna

    (Department of Mechanical Engineering, Kingston University, London SW15 3DW, UK
    These authors contributed equally to this work.)

  • Konstantin Volkov

    (Department of Mechanical Engineering, Kingston University, London SW15 3DW, UK
    Department of Mechanical Engineering, St. Petersburg State Marine Technical University, 190121 St Petersburg, Russia)

Abstract

A lift-driven vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT) generates peak power when it is rotating at high tip-speed ratios (TSR), at which time the blades encounter angles of attack (AOA) over a small range from zero to 30 degrees. However, its ability to self-start is dependent upon its performance at low TSRs, at which time the blades encounter a range of AOAs from zero to 180 degrees. A novel vented aerofoil is presented with the intention of improving the performance of a lift-driven VAWT at low TSRs without hampering the performance of the wind turbine at high TSRs. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation is used to predict the aerodynamic characteristics of a new vented aerofoil based on the well documented NACA0012 profile. Simulations are performed using the SST turbulence model. The results obtained show a reduction in the coefficient of tangential force (the force that generates torque on the wind turbine) at low AOAs (less than 90 degrees) of no more than 30%, while at high AOAs (more than 90 degrees) an improvement in the tangential force of over 100% is observed. Using a simple momentum based performance prediction model, these results suggest that this would lead to an increase in torque generation by a theoretical three-bladed VAWT of up to 20% at low TSRs and a minor reduction in coefficient of performance of up to 9% at TSR of 2 and closer to 1% at higher TSRs.

Suggested Citation

  • Samuel Mitchell & Iheanyichukwu Ogbonna & Konstantin Volkov, 2021. "Improvement of Self-Starting Capabilities of Vertical Axis Wind Turbines with New Design of Turbine Blades," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(7), pages 1-24, March.
  • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:7:p:3854-:d:527537
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/7/3854/pdf
    Download Restriction: no

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/13/7/3854/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Howell, Robert & Qin, Ning & Edwards, Jonathan & Durrani, Naveed, 2010. "Wind tunnel and numerical study of a small vertical axis wind turbine," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 35(2), pages 412-422.
    2. Li, Chao & Zhu, Songye & Xu, You-lin & Xiao, Yiqing, 2013. "2.5D large eddy simulation of vertical axis wind turbine in consideration of high angle of attack flow," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 317-330.
    3. Xu Ning & Decheng Wan, 2019. "LES Study of Wake Meandering in Different Atmospheric Stabilities and Its Effects on Wind Turbine Aerodynamics," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(24), pages 1-26, December.
    4. Mohanasundaram Anthony & Valsalal Prasad & Kannadasan Raju & Mohammed H. Alsharif & Zong Woo Geem & Junhee Hong, 2020. "Design of Rotor Blades for Vertical Axis Wind Turbine with Wind Flow Modifier for Low Wind Profile Areas," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 12(19), pages 1-26, September.
    5. Gupta, R. & Biswas, A. & Sharma, K.K., 2008. "Comparative study of a three-bucket Savonius rotor with a combined three-bucket Savonius–three-bladed Darrieus rotor," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 33(9), pages 1974-1981.
    6. Raciti Castelli, Marco & Englaro, Alessandro & Benini, Ernesto, 2011. "The Darrieus wind turbine: Proposal for a new performance prediction model based on CFD," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 36(8), pages 4919-4934.
    7. Rossetti, A. & Pavesi, G., 2013. "Comparison of different numerical approaches to the study of the H-Darrieus turbines start-up," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 50(C), pages 7-19.
    8. Mohamed, M.H., 2012. "Performance investigation of H-rotor Darrieus turbine with new airfoil shapes," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 47(1), pages 522-530.
    9. Armstrong, Shawn & Fiedler, Andrzej & Tullis, Stephen, 2012. "Flow separation on a high Reynolds number, high solidity vertical axis wind turbine with straight and canted blades and canted blades with fences," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 41(C), pages 13-22.
    10. Islam, Mazharul & Ting, David S.-K. & Fartaj, Amir, 2008. "Aerodynamic models for Darrieus-type straight-bladed vertical axis wind turbines," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 12(4), pages 1087-1109, May.
    11. Hernández, Ó. Soto & Volkov, K. & Martín Mederos, A.C. & Medina Padrón, J.F. & Feijóo Lorenzo, A.E., 2015. "Power output of a wind turbine installed in an already existing viaduct," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 48(C), pages 287-299.
    12. Hwang, In Seong & Lee, Yun Han & Kim, Seung Jo, 2009. "Optimization of cycloidal water turbine and the performance improvement by individual blade control," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 86(9), pages 1532-1540, September.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Ion Malael & Ioana Octavia Bucur, 2021. "Numerical Evaluation of the Flow around a New Vertical Axis Wind Turbine Concept," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(16), pages 1-17, August.
    2. Luke Sakamoto & Tomohiro Fukui & Koji Morinishi, 2022. "Blade Dimension Optimization and Performance Analysis of the 2-D Ugrinsky Wind Turbine," Energies, MDPI, vol. 15(7), pages 1-14, March.
    3. Lin Pan & Ze Zhu & Zhaoyang Shi & Leichong Wang, 2021. "Modeling and Investigation of Blade Trailing Edge of Vertical Axis Offshore Wind Turbine," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(19), pages 1-25, September.
    4. Mario Martínez García & Silvia Ramos Cabral & Ricardo Pérez Zúñiga & Luis Carlos G. Martínez Rodríguez, 2023. "Automatic Equipment to Increase Sustainability in Agricultural Fertilization," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 13(2), pages 1-17, February.

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Jin, Xin & Zhao, Gaoyuan & Gao, KeJun & Ju, Wenbin, 2015. "Darrieus vertical axis wind turbine: Basic research methods," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 42(C), pages 212-225.
    2. Barnes, Andrew & Marshall-Cross, Daniel & Hughes, Ben Richard, 2021. "Towards a standard approach for future Vertical Axis Wind Turbine aerodynamics research and development," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 148(C).
    3. Almohammadi, K.M. & Ingham, D.B. & Ma, L. & Pourkashan, M., 2013. "Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) mesh independency techniques for a straight blade vertical axis wind turbine," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 58(C), pages 483-493.
    4. Mohamed, M.H., 2013. "Impacts of solidity and hybrid system in small wind turbines performance," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 57(C), pages 495-504.
    5. Chen, Jian & Yang, Hongxing & Yang, Mo & Xu, Hongtao & Hu, Zuohuan, 2015. "A comprehensive review of the theoretical approaches for the airfoil design of lift-type vertical axis wind turbine," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 51(C), pages 1709-1720.
    6. Tummala, Abhishiktha & Velamati, Ratna Kishore & Sinha, Dipankur Kumar & Indraja, V. & Krishna, V. Hari, 2016. "A review on small scale wind turbines," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 56(C), pages 1351-1371.
    7. Atlaschian, Omid & Metzger, M., 2021. "Numerical model of vertical axis wind turbine performance in realistic gusty wind conditions," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 165(P1), pages 211-223.
    8. Thé, Jesse & Yu, Hesheng, 2017. "A critical review on the simulations of wind turbine aerodynamics focusing on hybrid RANS-LES methods," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 138(C), pages 257-289.
    9. Shaaban, S. & Albatal, A. & Mohamed, M.H., 2018. "Optimization of H-Rotor Darrieus turbines' mutual interaction in staggered arrangements," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 125(C), pages 87-99.
    10. Balduzzi, Francesco & Bianchini, Alessandro & Maleci, Riccardo & Ferrara, Giovanni & Ferrari, Lorenzo, 2016. "Critical issues in the CFD simulation of Darrieus wind turbines," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 85(C), pages 419-435.
    11. Andrea Alaimo & Antonio Esposito & Antonio Messineo & Calogero Orlando & Davide Tumino, 2015. "3D CFD Analysis of a Vertical Axis Wind Turbine," Energies, MDPI, vol. 8(4), pages 1-21, April.
    12. Balduzzi, Francesco & Bianchini, Alessandro & Ferrara, Giovanni & Ferrari, Lorenzo, 2016. "Dimensionless numbers for the assessment of mesh and timestep requirements in CFD simulations of Darrieus wind turbines," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 97(C), pages 246-261.
    13. Peng, H.Y. & Lam, H.F., 2016. "Turbulence effects on the wake characteristics and aerodynamic performance of a straight-bladed vertical axis wind turbine by wind tunnel tests and large eddy simulations," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 109(C), pages 557-568.
    14. Trivellato, F. & Raciti Castelli, M., 2014. "On the Courant–Friedrichs–Lewy criterion of rotating grids in 2D vertical-axis wind turbine analysis," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 62(C), pages 53-62.
    15. Daniel Micallef & Gerard Van Bussel, 2018. "A Review of Urban Wind Energy Research: Aerodynamics and Other Challenges," Energies, MDPI, vol. 11(9), pages 1-27, August.
    16. Asr, Mahdi Torabi & Nezhad, Erfan Zal & Mustapha, Faizal & Wiriadidjaja, Surjatin, 2016. "Study on start-up characteristics of H-Darrieus vertical axis wind turbines comprising NACA 4-digit series blade airfoils," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 112(C), pages 528-537.
    17. Farzadi, Ramin & Bazargan, Majid, 2023. "3D numerical simulation of the Darrieus vertical axis wind turbine with J-type and straight blades under various operating conditions including self-starting mode," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 278(PB).
    18. Mohamed, M.H., 2012. "Performance investigation of H-rotor Darrieus turbine with new airfoil shapes," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 47(1), pages 522-530.
    19. Rezaeiha, Abdolrahim & Kalkman, Ivo & Blocken, Bert, 2017. "Effect of pitch angle on power performance and aerodynamics of a vertical axis wind turbine," Applied Energy, Elsevier, vol. 197(C), pages 132-150.
    20. Chen, Yaoran & Su, Jie & Han, Zhaolong & Zhao, Yongsheng & Zhou, Dai & Yang, He & Bao, Yan & Lei, Hang, 2020. "A shape optimization of ϕ-shape Darrieus wind turbine under a given range of inlet wind speed," Renewable Energy, Elsevier, vol. 159(C), pages 286-299.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:13:y:2021:i:7:p:3854-:d:527537. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.