Design of a hydroformed metal blade for vertical-axis wind turbines

Abstract

Vertical-axis wind turbines (VAWTs) have experienced a renewed impulse during the last few years with important research efforts focused on them. This work explores whether the global profitability of VAWTs can be improved through improved manufacturing techniques. We studied how large-series production techniques from the sheet-metal industry can be used to create blades of H-type Darrieus turbines. Blade size and shape were determined via aerodynamic and structural analyses. The proposed solution is based on the use of hydroforming manufacturing techniques with metal sheets. Our estimations show that with the positive effects of a large-scale use and production (economies of scale), such metal blades have a 90% reduction potential in their production costs compared to fibre-reinforced ones for single turbines.