• International Journal of Fluid Machinery and Systems
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• v.4 no.2
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• pp.229-234
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• 2011

For Lift-type Vertical Axis Wind Turbine (VAWT), it is difficult to evaluate the performance through the scale-model wind tunnel tests, because of the scale effect relating to Reynolds number. However, it is beneficial to figure out the critical value of Reynolds number or minimum size of the Lift-type VAWT, when designing this type of micro wind turbine. Therefore, in this study, the performance of several scale-models of Lift-type VAWT (Reynolds number : $1.5{\times}10^4$ to $4.6{\times}10^4$) was investigated. As a result, the Reynolds number effect depends on the blade chord rather than the inlet velocity. In addition, there was a transition point of the Reynolds number to change the dominant driving force from Drag to Lift.

• The KSFM Journal of Fluid Machinery
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.64-68
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• 2014

This paper is intended to provide experimental data for the design of the small VAWT(vertical axis wind turbine). Three types(lift, drag, and hybrid) of the blade of VAWT are tested with digital wind tunnel in this study. From the test, the relation of power coefficient and tip speed ratio for the blades are evaluated and compared each other depending on the blade type. Especially, the characteristics of hybrid blade which is shown to be expanded in the market without any logical data is proposed in the relation of power coefficient and tip speed ratio. It is shown that the hybrid blade can be used to make higher starting torque with trade off of degradation of power coefficient.

• Wind and Structures
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• v.22 no.5
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• pp.595-616
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• 2016

Providing high starting torque and efficiency simultaneously is a significant challenge for vertical axis wind turbines (VAWTs). In this paper, a new approach is studied in order to modify VAWTs performance and cogging torque. In this approach, J-shaped profiles are exploited in the structure of blades by means of eliminating the pressure side of airfoil from the maximum thickness toward the trailing edge. This new profile is a new type of VAWT airfoil using the lift and drag forces, thereby yielding a better performance at low TSRs. To simulate the fluid flow of the VAWT along with J-shaped profiles originated from NACA0018 and NACA0030, a two-dimensional computational analysis is conducted. The Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) equations are closed using the two-equation Shear Stress Transport (SST) turbulence model. The main objective of the study is to investigate the effects of J-shaped straight blade thickness on the performance characteristics of VAWT. The results obtained indicate that opting for the higher thickness in J-shaped profiles for the blade sections leads the performance and cogging torque of VAWT to enhance dramatically.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Manufacturing Process Engineers
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• v.5 no.4
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• pp.13-20
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• 2006

The inherent problem of a Darrieus wind turbine is its inability to self-start. Usually, a motor is used to provide angular acceleration until lift forces are produced in the airfoil blades or up until the turbine can already sustain its speed on its own. This paper describes a method of improving the self-starting of an H-type Darrieus vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT) by incorporating a helical Savonius turbine thus utilizing a drag-lift combination. The effect of each turbine in the combination relative to each other is investigated by testing a prototype windmill consisting of three NACA 0015 airfoil blades combined with a Savonius rotor with a helix angle of 180 degrees and whose swept area equals 30% of the entire turbine.