Increasing the Power Output of the Darrieus Vertical Axis Wind Turbine
R. R amkissoon
Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering Department, The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago, West Indies
K. Manohar *
Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering Department, The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago, West Indies
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
The Darrieus Vertical Axis Wind Turbine is a versatile method of generating power in the Caribbean. The cost, reliability and power produced are of paramount importance in the success of these wind turbines. This study analyzed different methods of improving the output power of a Vertical Axis Wind Turbine. In the case study a Vertical Axis Wind Turbine was built using the NACA 0018 airfoil type for the blade profile. The turbine consisted of three blades of length 3.05 meters and had a diameter of 6.10 meters. Experimental results showed that drag reduction on the strut arms of the blades increased the power output greater than any other method tested. The Vertical Axis wind turbine power output increased by approximately 27% in some cases using a strut modifier to decrease the drag component of the blade’s strut.
Keywords: Vertical axis wind turbine, VAWT, straight bladed; darrieus