Design, Fabrication, and Performance Test of a 100-W Helical-Blade Vertical-Axis Wind Turbine at Low Tip-Speed Ratio

Dowon Han,Sang Nam,Young Heo,Kyung Kim,Kyoung Choi,Nak Choi

doi:10.3390/en11061517

Abstract

A 100-W helical-blade vertical-axis wind turbine was designed, manufactured, and tested in a wind tunnel. A relatively low tip-speed ratio of 1.1 was targeted for usage in an urban environment at a rated wind speed of 9 m/s and a rotational speed of 170 rpm. The basic dimensions were determined through a momentum-based design method according to the IEC 61400-2 protocol. The power output was estimated by a mathematical model that takes into account the aerodynamic performance of the NACA0018 blade shape. The lift and drag of the blade with respect to the angle of attack during rotation were calculated using 2D computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation to take into account stall region. The average power output calculated by the model was 108.34 W, which satisfies the target output of 100 W. The manufactured wind turbine was tested in a large closed-circuit wind tunnel, and the power outputs were measured for given wind speeds. At the design condition, the measured power output was 114.7 W, which is 5.9% higher than that of the mathematical model. This result validates the proposed design method and power estimation by the mathematical model.

Highlights

The consumption of fossil fuels has increased, resulting in high CO2 emissions and serious climate change
Specific goals have been set, and wind power generation is regarded as an optimal power generation system
The emission of pollutants such as carbon dioxide and methane is 1/50 to 1/100 that of other energy sources, assuming that the wind speed is more than 8 m/s [3]

Summary

Introduction

The consumption of fossil fuels has increased, resulting in high CO2 emissions and serious climate change. Research on renewable energy is actively under way to solve these environmental problems and in anticipation of the depletion of fossil fuels [1]. From the Kyoto Protocol in 1997 to the Paris Climate Convention in 2015, more countries are becoming concerned with climate change due to industrialization. To solve this problem, specific goals have been set, and wind power generation is regarded as an optimal power generation system. The emission of pollutants such as carbon dioxide and methane is 1/50 to 1/100 that of other energy sources, assuming that the wind speed is more than 8 m/s [3]

Methods

Results

Conclusion