Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Analysis of aerodynamic load on straight-bladed vertical axis wind turbine

  • Published:
Journal of Thermal Science Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This paper presents a wind tunnel experiment for the evaluation of energy performance and aerodynamic forces acting on a small straight-bladed vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT) depending on several values of tip speed ratio. In the present study, the wind turbine is a four-bladed VAWT. The test airfoil of blade is symmetry airfoil (NACA0021) with 32 pressure ports used for the pressure measurements on blade surface. Based on the pressure distributions which are acted on the surface of rotor blade measured during rotation by multiport pressure-scanner mounted on a hub, the power, tangential force, lift and drag coefficients which are obtained by pressure distribution are discussed as a function of azimuthally position. And then, the loads which are applied to the entire wind turbine are compared with the experiment data of pressure distribution. As a result, it is clarified that aerodynamic forces take maximum value when the blade is moving to upstream side, and become small and smooth at downstream side. The power and torque coefficients which are based on the pressure distribution are larger than that by torque meter.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

A :

cross-sectional area (m2)

c :

blade chord length (m)

C N :

normal force coefficient on blade

C D :

drag coefficient on blade

C L :

lift coefficient on blade

C lateral :

lateral force coefficient on rotor

C p :

pressure coefficient

Cpower :

power coefficient

C Q :

torque coefficient on rotor

C thrust :

thrust coefficient on rotor

C T :

tangential force coefficient on blade

D :

rotor diameter (m)

F D :

drag force on blade (N)

F L :

lift force on blade (N)

F N :

normal force on blade (N) Greek letters

F T :

tangential force on blade (N)

H :

height of rotor (m)

i :

measurement point position

N :

number of blades

p:

pressure on blade surface (Pa)

P:

power absorbed from wind (W)

P d :

power for downstream (W)

P u :

power for upstream (W)

pi :

pressure at measurement tap (Pa)

p 0 :

reference static pressure (Pa)

R:

rotor radius (m)

Re :

local Reynolds number

Si :

measurement taps distance connecting midpoint of pressure measurement tap adjacent to each other in airfoil section (m)

Q :

rotor torque (N·m)

U 0 :

mainstream wind velocity (m/s)

V :

tip speed of blade (m/s)

W :

relative flow velocity (m/s)

x :

longitudinal coordinate (m)

y :

lateral coordinate (m)

Δy :

a minute width in y-axis direction (m)

z :

vertical coordinate (m)

α:

angle of attack (deg)

β:

blade pitch angle (deg)

θ:

azimuth angle (deg)

γ:

inclination angle of pressure measurement taps in position of i (deg)

λ:

tip speed ratio

ν:

kinematic viscosity (m2/s)

ρ:

air density (kg/m3)

φ :

angle of resultant flow velocity (deg)

ω:

angular velocity of rotor (1/s)

References

  1. Takada, Y.: The deployment and market trend of a small wind turbine generator (in Japanese), Japan Wind Energy Association, Wind Energy, vol. 36, no.3, pp. 342–349, (2012).

    MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  2. Kevin, W.M., Stephen, W.T. and Samir, Z.: Vibration Response Behaviour of a High Solidity, Low Rotational Velocity, Vertical Axis Wind Turbine, Proc. ASME 2010 3rd Joint US-European Fluids Engineering Summer Meeting and 8th International Conference on Nanochannels, Microchannels and Minichannels, Montreal, Canada, p. 10, (2010).

    Google Scholar 

  3. Ferreira C.S., Kuik G.V., Bussel G.V. and Scarano F.: Visualization by PIV of dynamic stall on a vertical axis wind turbine, Exp. Fluids, vol. 46, pp.97–108, (2009).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. In, S.H., Seung, Y.M., In, O.J., Yun, H.L. and Seung, J.K.: Efficiency Improvement of a New Vertical Axis Wind Turbine by Individual Active Control of Blade Motion. Proc. SPIE 6173, Smart Structures and Materials 2006: Smart Structures and Integrated Systems, doi:10.1117/12.658935, http://dx.doi.org/10.1117/12.658935, (2006).

    Google Scholar 

  5. Maeda, T., Kamada, Y., Murata, J., Li, Q., A., Kawabata, T. and Kogaki, T.: Measurements of flow field and pressure distribution of straight-bladed vertical axis wind turbine, Proc. European Wind Energy Association Conference and Exhibition 2013, Vienna, Austria, (2013).

    Google Scholar 

  6. Rajat, G., Sukanta, R., Agnimitra, B.: Computational fluid dynamics analysis of a twisted airfoil shaped two-bladed H-Darrieus rotor made from fibreglass reinforced plastic (FRP), International Journal of Energy and Environment, vol. 1, Issue 6, pp.953–968, (2010).

    Google Scholar 

  7. Castelli, M.R., Betta, S.D. and Benini, E.: Numerical Analysis of the Influence of Airfoil Asymmetry on VAWT Performance, World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology 63 2012, vol. 61, pp.312–321, (2012).

    Google Scholar 

  8. Manwell, J.F., McGowan1, J.G. and Rogers, A.L.: Wind Energy Explained: Theory, Design and Application, Second Edition, John Wiley & Sons, New York, pp.62–65, (2009).

    Book  Google Scholar 

  9. Castelli, M.R., Betta, S.D. and Benini, E.: Effect of blade number on a straight-bladed vertical-axis Darreius wind turbine, World Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology, vol. 61, no. 13, pp. 305–311, (2013).

    Google Scholar 

  10. Mizuno, A., Iida, A., Shibuya, A., Fukudome, K. and Kogaki, T.: Performance Prediction of Straight Wings Vertical Axis Wind Turbines (in Japanese), Proc. Annual Meeting on Fluid Eng. Division 2004, JSME, Kitakyushu, Japan, pp. 509–512, (2004).

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of System Engineering, Mie University, 1577 Kurimamachiya-cho, Tsu, Mie, 514-8507, Japan

    Qing’an Li

  2. Division of Mechanical Engineering, Mie University, 1577 Kurimamachiya-cho, Tsu, Mie, 514-8507, Japan

    Takao Maeda, Yasunari Kamada, Junsuke Murata, Toshiaki Kawabata & Kazuma Furukawa

Authors
  1. Qing’an Li
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Takao Maeda
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Yasunari Kamada
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Junsuke Murata
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Toshiaki Kawabata
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Kazuma Furukawa
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Li, Q., Maeda, T., Kamada, Y. et al. Analysis of aerodynamic load on straight-bladed vertical axis wind turbine. J. Therm. Sci. 23, 315–324 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11630-014-0712-8

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11630-014-0712-8

Keywords

Search

Navigation