Comparison of aerodynamics of vertical-axis wind turbine with single and combine Darrieus and Savonius rotors

Abstract

Vertical-axis wind turbines (VAWT) with Darrieus and Savonius rotors were studied based on the developed specialized package of computational aerodynamics. The flow structure around the Savonius and Darrieus rotors was numerically reconstructed, considering the mutual influence. From this reconstruction, the main stages of the vortex structure formation during the flow of the turbulent wind around the rotors were identified. Qualitative and quantitative assessments of the influence of the Savonius rotor on the total aerodynamic and energy characteristics of a VAWT were carried out. It is shown that the main contribution to the torque of the VAWT is due to the Darrieus rotor, mainly in the windward section of the trajectory. The Savonius rotor accounts for only a few percent of the total torque produced by the installation. The interaction of the Darrieus rotor blades with macrovortices from the Savonius rotor in the leeward part of the trajectory leads to a sharp drop in the torque coefficient. In the absence of a Savonius rotor, the vortices separated from supported tower are much smaller both in size and intensity. Therefore, their interaction with the blades of the Darrieus rotor does not lead to a significant change in the aerodynamic characteristics. A power characteristics comparison of two VAWTs showed that the torque coefficient is higher for wind turbines with only single Darrieus rotor. The developed approaches and techniques make it possible to reproduce real aerodynamic processes of flow most reliably around bodies of arbitrary shape and calculate their aerodynamic characteristics.