Performance Evaluation of a Forward Swept Blade for Vertical Axis Wind Turbine through CFD Simulation

Abstract

With high power density wind farms, reduced environmental impact, and logistical requirements, vertical axis wind turbines offer a good value proposition for the challenging topography of the Philippines. In this study, the forward-swept wing was incorporated as a VAWT blade; its swept angle is defined along the axis of rotation and evaluated its performance through CFD simulation utilizing SST k-ω turbulence model with curvature correction function validated against experimental data. The forward-swept blade exhibited improved performance over a limited tip speed ratio (λ) with up to a 7.2% increase in peak performance occurring at λ = 2.6 and with the highest increase of 14 % in λ = 2.387. The increase is due to an increased peak torque output characterized by stall delay attributed to forward swept high angle of attack.