Economical Darrieus straight bladed vertical axis wind turbine for renewable energy applications

Abstract

AbstractIn remote and stand alone applications, the simple straight bladed Darrieus type vertical axis wind turbine is very practical due to its simple design and low cost of construction. It has the potential to compete effectively with the more widely used horizontal axis wind turbines. This project explores a Darrieus type vertical axis wind turbine, adapted for domestic electricity generation. Design, construction and modelling of a three-blade vertical axis wind turbine with 305 cm long blades, 55 cm chord length, which formed a symmetrical airfoil of National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA 0018) profile, was performed in this study to demonstrate how used materials can be recycled to produce an economically feasible Darrieus type vertical axis wind turbine that can be utilised to produce usable electrical power. The double multiple streamtube model was used to reproduce this turbine. Materials used were chosen for practicality, availability within the southern Caribbean islands of Trinidad...