Feasibility Study of PVC Pipes as Vertical Axis Wind Turbines Type Savonius Bucket for Remote Areas Application

Abstract

Independent power plant based on renewable energy is a good solution to solve electricity crisis in remote areas. Wind is a source of energy that has every country in the world. A study of the utilization of PVC pipes as a material for Savonius turbine buckets has been carried out in order to reduce the investment costs of wind turbines. The feasibility test has been carried out in four runners: the 2-bucket without and with overlap and the 3-bucket without and with overlap. All the runners are made using PVC pipes. Based on results, the 2-bucket with overlap is the right solution for remote areas because it has a higher coefficient of performance of 8.39%, and the range of tip speed ratio is wider between 0.57-0.65 compared to others. Compared to aluminum bucket material, the PVC pipes are more profitable because they are easy to make, cheap and good performance. Furthermore, the investment cost of a Savonius turbine bucket made from PVC pipe (USD 37.34) is cheaper than the pico hydro type Turgo (USD 48). Thus, the PVC pipes as materials for making Savonius turbine runner are recommended for remote areas application because the materials are cheap and easy to access (widely available in the market).