AERODYNAMICS OF A NOVEL VERTICAL AXIS WIND TURBINE

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AERODYNAMICS OF A NOVEL VERTICAL AXIS WIND TURBINE
Background
Small wind turbines for domestic or business use
offer potential for energy savings. In urban
areas they must be able to operate well over a
wide range of wind directions and turbulence
levels.
Objective
To study a small, vertical axis wind turbine in
order to determine optimum guide vane and blade
settings for maximum output and independence of
wind direction.
Zephyr omni-directional vertical axis wind turbine
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Research To Be Carried Out
A wind tunnel study, initially comprising wind
speed, torque and power output measurements,
together with flow visualization, will be carried
out for different turbine blade settings.
Proposed residential use of the turbines
Expected Outcomes
The results from this first study are expected to
validate the design concept, leading to the
production of the initial turbines. Refinements
using further testing, together with CFD
analysis, are anticipated.
Proposed use of the turbines by a school