Concept design and numerical analysis of hybrid solar–wind turbine

Abstract

A wind turbine is a device that converts wind energy to electrical energy. External factors such as wind speed and direction shift, as well as turbine blade design considerations, cause a significant amount of energy to be wasted throughout the conversion process. Considering all these losses, a turbine’s average efficiency is roughly 45 percent. The blades of a wind turbine are one of the most crucial factors in determining the turbine’s efficiency. The design and geometry of the blades have a direct impact on performance since it determines how much kinetic energy from the wind is converted into mechanical energy. Many concepts and technologies are being used to improve the efficiency of wind turbines while lowering their maintenance costs. Wind turbines based on their axis orientation are classified as vertical axis and horizontal axis. Vertical axis wind turbines are not as widespread as their horizontal-axis counterparts due to their lower efficiency. In this study, we will use a Savonius vertical axis wind turbine to investigate a way of enhancing its efficiency by installing solar panels on its vertical blades and determining the best performance angle at which the turbine should be kept achieving maximum efficiency. Computation fluid dynamic analysis and thermal and structural analysis has been performed to check the efficiency of the designed blade. As a result, an optimized wind turbine design has been developed.