Performance Improvement in Savonius Wind Turbine by Modification of Blade Shape

Abstract

Wind energy is one of the abundantly available renewable energy resources. Savonius vertical axis wind turbine is better suited for small scale power generation applications with many advantages. The turbine operates independent of wind direction with good starting torque and less noise. But, the power coefficient of the Savonius turbine is less than all other wind turbines. The shape of the turbine blades plays an important role in the performance of the turbine. In this present two-dimensional numerical study, an attempt has been made to improve the turbine performance by considering three types of blade shapes. The complete design details of the proposed new blade shapes are presented. The simulations are carried out using ANSYS Fluent 15.0 with SST K-ω turbulence model. The power coefficient of the modified blade is found to have increased by 20% compared to conventional blade shape. The effect of tip-speed-ratio on power coefficient has also been studied and reported.