Savonius Vertical-Axis Wind Turbine: Optimal Design and Fabrication for Small-Scale Energy Applications

While there have been several attempts to create horizontal-axis wind turbines (HAWT), vertical-axis wind turbines (VAWT) have received very little attention during the past two decades. It has additional significance now because of the present energy crisis. One form of wind turbine that can capture wind from any direction is the VAWT, which has its main shaft set vertically with the set of blades. This paper aims to develop a theoretical model of different number of blades to find the best-suited one, and hence, a prototype has been built for analyzing the performance of VAWT for small-scale energy applications. After the analysis and simulation, a small 3-bladed VAWT of Savonius type is developed, and its effectiveness at low wind speeds is explored. The prototype is made using readily available and cost-effective mild steel as blade material (MS sheet of 1 mm thickness). This approach indicates the development of VAWT with improved performance to satisfy the current power demand. Even today, most electrical power is generated using conventional methods where fossil fuels are used for generating power. Not only it is expensive, but it damages the environment by the emission of hazardous pollutants. This VAWT can satisfy both these requirements, and it is relatively cheaper compared to HAWT which is very expensive and is not suitable for most of the locations.