Renewable energy sources have gained significant attention due to the increasing demand for clean energy production. The gravitational vortex turbine (GVT) is one of the emerging technologies in the field of renewable energy that has gained attention for its simple and low-cost manufacturing process. The turbine operates by utilizing the energy of wastewater or other liquid flows to generate power on-site, making it a potentially viable solution for small-scale power generation. However, the optimization of the turbine's design is necessary to improve its efficiency and to make it a more competitive source of renewable energy. Previous research on GVT has mainly focused on the chamber's design to improve the formation of the vortex. However, little attention has been paid to the rotor design, which is also a critical parameter affecting the turbine's performance. The current study aimed to investigate the performance of three different rotors for the turbine, including the Savonius, H-Darrieus, and a standard rotor with straight blades, using numerical simulations. The numerical simulations were performed using ANSYS software, with ICEM modules for discretization and CFX for simulation. The results showed that the straight-bladed rotor outperformed the other two rotors, with an increase in efficiency of 40% and 79% compared to the Savonius and H-Darrieus geometry blades, respectively. The study highlights the importance of considering the rotor design in the optimization of the gravitational vortex turbine. The results provide valuable insights into the design parameters that can be used to enhance the turbine's performance. These findings can contribute to the development of more efficient and cost-effective gravitational vortex turbines for on-site power generation and consumption.
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