Experimental study on aerodynamic characteristics of vertical-axis wind turbine

Abstract

This paper firstly introduces some parameters for the design of vertical-axis wind turbine including sweeping area, blade aspect ratio, number of blades, airfoil type, turbine solidity, blade shape and height/diameter ratio. Models of Cup-Rotor, Φ-Rotor and H-Rotor vertical-axis wind turbine were made and aerodynamic experiments were carried out in a wind tunnel laboratory on these typical vertical-axis wind turbines. Experimental results are analyzed, which reveal the influence of the structural parameters on the aerodynamic performance of these wind turbines. When a baffle plate is put in front of the Cup-Rotor wind turbine, its rotational velocity and tip-speed ratio will be higher, and the tip-speed ratio will be over 1.0. Airfoil type has little influence on the minimum steady running speed of Φ-Rotor wind turbine and some influence on the turning point speed. Initial triggering could greatly enlarge the rotational velocity and the tip-speed ratio of the Φ-Rotor vertical-axis wind turbines and improve its working efficiency. The H-Rotor wind turbine has higher minimum steady running speed and lower tip-speed ratio, which needs more attention and carful optimization.