Optimization of Savonius turbines using an obstacle shielding the returning blade

Due to the worldwide energy crisis, research and development activities in the field of renewable energy have been considerably increased in many countries. In Germany, wind energy is becoming particularly important. Although considerable progress has already been achieved, the available technical design is not yet adequate to develop reliable wind energy converters for conditions corresponding to low wind speeds and urban areas. The Savonius turbine appears to be particularly promising for such conditions, but suffers from a poor efficiency. The present study considers a considerably improved design in order to increase the output power of a Savonius turbine with either two or three blades. In addition, the improved design leads to a better self-starting capability. To achieve these objectives, the position of an obstacle shielding the returning blade of the Savonius turbine and possibly leading to a better flow orientation toward the advancing blade is optimized. This automatic optimization is carried out by coupling an in-house optimization library (OPAL) with an industrial flow simulation code (ANSYS-Fluent). The optimization process takes into account the output power coefficient as target function, considers the position and the angle of the shield as optimization parameters, and relies on Evolutionary Algorithms. A considerable improvement of the performance of Savonius turbines can be obtained in this manner, in particular a relative increase of the power output coefficient by more than 27%. It is furthermore demonstrated that the optimized configuration involving a two-blade rotor is better than the three-blade design.     

Partially-blocked savonius rotor

A Savonius rotor can develop a relatively high torque at a low rotational speed. It is cheap to build, but harnesses only a small fraction of the wind energy incident upon it. One proposal for augmenting the energy-harnessing effectiveness was to employ a V-shaped deflector mounted upstream of the rotor, apex into the wind, so that the air-flow resistance encountered by the half of the wind-turbine blade advancing (i.e. moving) into the wind was reduced. By (i) carrying out experimental tests with the deflector in different positions relative to the rotor, and (ii) varying the wedge angle between the deflector blades, an optimal configuration for the particular system tested was determined. With the optimally pitched deflector set at its optimal location, the rotor harnessed about 20% more power, compared with the unblocked (i.e. standard) rotor both for an approximate wind speed of 4 ms⁻¹. Such a significant improvement, achieved by this simple cheap means, suggests that the use of the partially blocking wedge is highly desirable.     

On the performance analysis of Savonius rotor with twisted blades

The present investigation is aimed at exploring the feasibility of twisted bladed Savonius rotor for power generation. The twisted blade in a three-bladed rotor system has been tested in a low speed wind tunnel, and its performance has been compared with conventional semicircular blades (with twist angle of 0°). Performance analysis has been made on the basis of starting characteristics, static torque and rotational speed. Experimental evidence shows the potential of the twisted bladed rotor in terms of smooth running, higher efficiency and self-starting capability as compared to that of the conventional bladed rotor. Further experiments have been conducted in the same setup to optimize the twist angle.     

Investigation of 3D printed Savonius rotor performance

In this study increasing the performance of Conventional Savonius wind rotor has been investigated by a 3D (three dimensional) printer which is one of the rapid prototyping techniques. For this purpose, some design changes have been introduced to increase the performance of conventional Savonius wind rotor. Here, 3D digital designing of Savonius wind rotors have been easily manufactured tangible as a physical model by a 3D printer. Experimental data concerning produced Savonius wind rotors have been acquired by using a wind tunnel. Some numerical data have been obtained from the CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) analysis carried out under the same conditions. The effects of the additional blade end design have been examined to obtain more torque increase on improved classical Savonius wind rotor. Furthermore, by means of introducing straight blade, the effects of the flow compression inside the blade have been reduced and rotor performance increased. Based on such optimizations, optimum additional design parameters have been designated as that (1/r) ratio is 0.3, (s/r) is 1, and (α) additional straight blade angle is 135°. It has been determined that power coefficient is increased at a ratio of around 20% together with all these design changes.     

凹变翼型对风力机气动性能影响的实验研究

为改进课题组自行设计某S型翼型结构,提高300 W小型水平轴风力机气动性能,本课题重点研究翼型吸力面凹变对风力机气动性能的影响.利用二阶迎风格式、S-A湍流模型数值模拟方法及内蒙古工业大学风能太阳能利用技术教育部重点实验室检测设备,探究风力机在3种定常风速、9种叶尖速比共27种工况下风轮的功率系数、功率、转矩等气动参数...     

Experimental investigation of helical Savonius rotor with a twist of 180°

Conventional Savonius rotors have low performance such as low coefficient of power and low coefficient of torque. In order to increase this performance, a helical Savonius rotor with a twist of 180° is proposed. In this paper, we are interested in studying the aerodynamic behavior of the helical Savonius rotors installed in an open jet wind tunnel. Particularly we are interested in studying the influence of variation of Reynolds number and the overlap ratio on the performance of a modified Savonius rotor with aspect ratio of 1.57 at a Reynolds numbers equal to Re = 79,794, Re = 99,578, Re = 116,064 and Re = 147,059. Results conclude that the variation of Reynolds number and overlap ratio has an effect on the global characteristics of the helical Savonius rotor. A comparison between the helical one and the conventional one shows that the maximum power coefficient of the Savonius wind rotor is higher. This work is developed at Laboratory of Electro-Mechanical System (LASEM) of the National School of Engineers of Sfax (ENIS).     

Experimental investigations on single stage,two stage and three stage conventional Savonius rotor

The performance of single stage (rotor aspect ratio of 1.0), two stage Savonius rotor with rotor aspect ratios of 1.0 and 2.0 (stage aspect ratios of 0.50 and 1.0) and three stage Savonius rotor with rotor aspect ratios of 1.0 and 3.0 (stage aspect ratios of 0.33 and 1.0) are studied at different Reynolds numbers and compared at the same Reynolds number. The results show that the coefficient of power and the coefficient of torque increase with the increase in the Reynolds numbers for all the rotors tested. The coefficient of static torque is independent of the Reynolds number for all the rotors tested. The performance of two stage and three stage rotors remains the same even after increasing the stage aspect ratio and the rotor aspect ratio by a factor of two and three, respectively. For the same rotor aspect ratio of 1.0, by increasing the number of stages (stage aspect ratio decreases), the performance deteriorates in terms Cp and Ct. However, at the same stage aspect ratio of 1.0 and same Reynolds number, two and three stage rotors show the same performance in terms of coefficient of power and coefficient of torque. The variation in coefficient of static torque is lower for a three stage rotor when compared with the variation of coefficient of static torque for two stage or single stage rotor. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Influence of overlap ratio and aspect ratio on the performance of Savonius hydrokinetic turbine

A strong contender for the utilization of the hydropower sources is Savonius turbine because of its good starting characteristics and simplicity in fabrication. The aim of the present work is to study the effect of overlap ratio and aspect ratio on the performance of a Savonius turbine for hydrodynamic application. The findings would be useful to decide design parameters of a Savonius hydrokinetic turbine. This study is conducted in three open channels namely small laboratory channel with depth of water 270 mm, large laboratory channel with depth of water 480 mm and a real life irrigation canal with depth of water 900 mm. Influence of endplates is studied to establish the significance of their presence on rotor performance. Maximum coefficient of power is observed for an overlap ratio of around 0.11 for Savonius turbines with aspect ratio less than 0.6. For a given overlap ratio, the increasing trend of the coefficient of power is observed with the increase in the aspect ratio. However, for aspect ratios greater than 1.8, the coefficient of power becomes nearly stagnant. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Savonius型风力机结构的优化设计

对传统Savonius型垂直轴风力机各几何参量进行优化,在此基础上加入一种半自动阀门装置,得到的新型Savonius风力机,在设计风速10m／s下,对其各项空气动力学性能参数进行计算。结果表明,这种风力机具有很好的开发意义,可应用于沿海地区民宅的小型风力发电,城市公共照明及景区夜景工程的离网供电。     

叶片转角对小型Savonius风机气动性能的影响

Savonius风机是一种典型的垂直轴风力发电机,通过对其进行流固耦合分析,研究叶片转角对风机气动性能的影响。利用ANSYS的CFX流体模块,流体湍流模型选择基于RANS的标准k-ε湍流模型,对风轮进行流固耦合分析,从而获得叶片产生的力矩情况,并计算了风机的功率特性。利用求解结果,得到了力矩系数与叶片转角之间的关系。分析了风机叶片在旋转一周中所产生的最大扭矩以及负扭矩所处的位置和范围。通过分析转角对风机性能的影响,可为今后的Savonius风机叶片形状优化和效率提升提供参考。     

Performance tests on helical Savonius rotors

Conventional Savonius rotors have high coefficient of static torque at certain rotor angles and a negative coefficient of static torque from 135° to 165° and from 315° to 345° in one cycle of 360°. In order to decrease this variation in static torque from 0° to 360°, a helical Savonius rotor with a twist of 90° is proposed. In this study, tests on helical Savonius rotors are conducted in an open jet wind tunnel. Coefficient of static torque, coefficient of torque and coefficient of power for each helical Savonius rotor are measured. The performance of helical rotor with shaft between the end plates and helical rotor without shaft between the end plates at different overlap ratios namely 0.0, 0.1 and 0.16 is compared. Helical Savonius rotor without shaft is also compared with the performance of the conventional Savonius rotor. The results indicate that all the helical Savonius rotors have positive coefficient of static torque at all the rotor angles. The helical rotors with shaft have lower coefficient of power than the helical rotors without shaft. Helical rotor without shaft at an overlap ratio of 0.0 and an aspect ratio of 0.88 is found to have almost the same coefficient of power when compared with the conventional Savonius rotor. Correlation for coefficient of torque and power is developed for helical Savonius rotor for a range of Reynolds numbers studied.     

Unsteady Aerodynamics of a Savonius wind rotor: a new computational approach for the simulation of energy performance

When compared with of other wind turbine the Savonius wind rotor offers lower performance in terms of power coefficient, on the other hand it offers a number of advantages as it is extremely simple to built, it is self-starting and it has no need to be oriented in the wind direction. Although it is well suited to be integrated in urban environment as mini or micro wind turbine it is inappropriate when high power is requested. For this reason several studies have been carried-out in recent years in order to improve its aerodynamic performance. The aim of this research is to gain an insight into the complex flow field developing around a Savonius wind rotor and to evaluate its performance. A mathematical model of the interaction between the flow field and the rotor blades was developed and validated by comparing its results with data obtained at Environmental Wind Tunnel (EWT) laboratory of the “Polytechnic University of Marche”.     

Comparative study of a three-bucket Savonius rotor with a combined three-bucket Savonius–three-bladed Darrieus rotor

The vertical axis wind turbines are simple in construction, self-starting, inexpensive and can accept wind from any direction without orientation. A combined Savonius–Darrieus type vertical axis wind rotor has got many advantages over individual Savonius or individual Darrieus wind rotor, such as better efficiency than Savonius rotor and high starting torque than Darrieus rotor. But works on the combined Savonius–Darrieus wind rotor are very scare. In view of the above, two types of models, one simple Savonius and the other combined Savonius–Darrieus wind rotors were designed and fabricated. The Savonius rotor was a three-bucket system having provisions for overlap variations. The Savonius–Darrieus rotor was a combination of three-bucket Savonius and three-bladed Darrieus rotors with the Savonius placed on top of the Darrieus rotor. The overlap variation was made in the upper part, i.e. the Savonius rotor only. These were tested in a subsonic wind tunnel available in the department. The various parameters namely, power coefficients and torque coefficients were calculated for both overlap and without overlap conditions. From the present investigation, it is seen that with the increase of overlap, the power coefficients start decreasing. The maximum power coefficient of 51% is obtained at no overlap condition. However, while comparing the power coefficients (C_p) for simple Savonius-rotor with that of the combined configuration of Savonius–Darrieus rotor, it is observed that there is a definite improvement in the power coefficient for the combined Savonius–Darrieus rotor without overlap condition. Combined rotor without overlap condition provided an efficiency of 0.51, which is higher than the efficiency of the Savonius rotor at any overlap positions under the same test conditions.     

Multiple streamtube approximation of flow‐induced forces on a Savonius wind turbine

This paper develops a new approximate model to predict the pressure and momentum forces on a Savonius‐style vertical axis wind turbine. Flow distributions through and around the turbine are examined for analytical predictions of the torque and power output, at all rotor angles. A new approximate streamtube method is developed to predict the momentum, lift, and drag forces on the rotor surfaces by the air stream on the basis of an integral force balance on the turbine blades. Unlike other past analytical methods, the technique predicts both momentum and pressure forces imposed on the rotor surface during operation. The calculated results are validated against experimental data and numerical predictions from computational fluid dynamics. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

An experimental investigation of a class of resistance-type,direction-independent wind turbines

The resistance-type, direction-independent wind turbine is suitable for the generation of power on a small scale in developing countries. So far, all work on this class of wind turbine seems to be restricted to the Savonius rotor. The present paper reports the findings of an experimental investigation of an entire class of wind turbines which includes the conventional Savonius rotor. The influence of four rotor-geometry parameters (i.e. number of blades, blade angle, blade location and angle of setting of the blade) is studied and discussed on the basis of two performance criteria (i.e. turbine efficiency and performance on the basis of blade area). The existence of optimum, design parameters is established and the possibility of improving substantially on the performance of the Savonius rotor is demonstrated. Some possible applications of the present class of turbines are briefly commented on.     

A review on the performance of Savonius wind turbines

This paper presents a review on the performance of Savonius wind turbines. This type of turbine is unusual and its application for obtaining useful energy from air stream is an alternative to the use of conventional wind turbines. Simple construction, high start up and full operation moment, wind acceptance from any direction, low noise and angular velocity in operation, reducing wear on moving parts, are some advantages of using this type of machine. Over the years, numerous adaptations for this device were proposed. The variety of possible configurations of the rotor is another advantage in using such machine. Each different arrangement of Savonius rotor affects its performance. Savonius rotor performance is affected by operational conditions, geometric and air flow parameters. The range of reported values for maximum averaged power coefficient includes values around 0.05–0.30 for most settings. Performance gains of up to 50% for tip speed ratio of maximum averaged power coefficient are also reported with the use of stators. Present article aims to gather relevant information about Savonius turbines, bringing a discussion about their performance. It is intended to provide useful knowledge for future studies.     

阻力型垂直轴风力机导风帘的优化设计

以输出功率100W的阻力型垂直轴型风力机为例,通过优化设计找寻最佳的叶片数目、高径比和折叠率等几何参量,然后加入导风帘装置,给出一个最佳结构方案。运用Fluent求解器中的有限体积法对无导风帘和三种不同长度导风帘设计的叶片周围的流场进行模拟。模拟与最佳优化方式的性能参数的计算结果表明,采用长导风帘设计的阻力型垂直轴风力机具有最好的动力学性能,可以提高运行效率。     

Integral analysis of rotors of a wind generator

The world's population needs new sources of energy, especially those that are clean and renewable. This paper provides a brief introduction to wind energy and the types of existing turbines, which are classified using the orientation of the rotation axis. Subsequently, an integral analysis is performed for vertical axis turbines. The known variables are the wind speed, the type of blade, the radius of the rotor and the angular velocity. The fluid velocity and the angle of attack on the blade are subsequently determined. From these two results, the lift and drag forces acting on the blades for each position of the rotor are calculated. The resultant torque and power generated are also calculated to evaluate the turbine power coefficient. Due to the rotation and the robustness of this type of turbine, a distortion in the flow direction occurs in its vicinity. The flow is modeled on a control volume, which is defined based on the variation in the wind direction.     

Extracting lift and drag polars from blade‐resolved computational fluid dynamics for use in actuator line modelling of horizontal axis turbines

Low order rotor models such as the actuator line method are desirable as an efficient method of computing the large range of operating and environmental conditions, required to design wind and tidal rotors and arrays. However, the integrated thrust and torque predictions for each rotor are dominated by the blade loading on the outboard sections, where three‐dimensional (3D) effects become increasingly significant, and the accuracy of the reduced order methods remains uncertain. To investigate the accuracy of the spanwise blade loading on an individual rotor, actuator line and blade boundary layer resolved computations of the Model Rotor Experiments in Controlled Conditions (MEXICO) rotor are presented. The high fidelity blade‐resolved simulations give good agreement with measured pressure coefficient and particle image velocimetry data. Alternative lift and drag polars are extracted from the 3D simulated flow fields as a function of radial position. These are then used as replacement inputs for the actuator line method. Significant improvement in the accuracy of the actuator line predictions is found when using these 3D extracted polars, compared with using simulated two‐dimensional lift and drag polars with empirical correction applied to the spanwise loading distribution. Additionally, the 3D flow field data is used to derive different axial and tangential spanwise loading corrections for use with the two‐dimensional blade polars. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Comparative critique on the design parameters and their effect on the performance of S-rotors

S-rotors, which currently have numerous configurations, after the introduction of the early type by Savonius, are low-cost and simple devices used to harness wind energy for stand-alone power systems. Although the power coefficient of S-rotors is comparatively low, geometric parameters, such as overlap ratio, aspect ratio, number of blades, number of stages, and blade profile, are highly affect its performance. Optimization of the rotor design requires further understanding on how each parameter influences the rotor performance. Therefore, this comparative critique on the design parameters is conducted to highlight the performance improvement of S-rotors via the optimization of the geometric parameters. In addition, cost analysis on the small scale wind power generation has been overviewed. The influence, of the modification of the blade profiles and flow concentration setups, on the performance is also discussed with the aid of drawings, comparison table, and graphical representations. The critique on the dynamic and static characteristics of S-rotors is presented in this study to improve the characteristics of S-rotors as stand-alone electric power systems for remote rural communities. The average C_p of S-rotors under open flow conditions is ranging from 0.037 to 0.37. However, the C_p of S-rotors with external flow guides can reach up to 0.52.