Optimized VAWT
With HIGH POWER OUTPUT
The maximum power output of the proposed VAWT is much greater than a traditional VAWT and even competes with the commercial HAWTs (size is matched)
We study the performance of our proposed VAWT via 3D computational fluid dynamics simulations using the commercial CFD solver ANSYS Fluent in which
-
air modeled by the Navier-Stokes Equations and turbulence included
-
rotors modeled with rigid body dynamics
-
deflector modeled as a fixed rigid body
A typical simulation is shown below. From the torque profiles (right), our proposed VAWT ensures that both rotors get positive torques during rotation, which eliminates the drawbacks of traditional VAWTs.
Performance optimization
We are doing geometry optimization, by systematically varying the parameters that define the geometry. From about 800 supercomputer simulations we have done so far, we find that the power output of our VAWT with a fixed profile fits well by a power law with respect to wind speed and the size of the VAWT. The maximum power output of the proposed VAWT (with an optimized geometry) is much greater than a traditional VAWT and even competes with the commercial HAWTs (size is matched). The latter is extremely encouraging for us.
A systematic geometry optimization is in progress based on the maximization of power output at a fixed size and for various wind speeds. (Different geometrically similar sizes are handled by our scaling laws; see the reference here.) This high-dimensional optimization problem is ideally suited to machine learning algorithms. We have been developing state-of-the-art AI/Machine Learning Algorithms, which have improved the performance of our VAWTs significantly.
solar cell
The proposed VAWT does not have any of these disadvantages of solar cell:
-
No power output at night
-
Reduced power output in low light (e.g., winter, northern climates)
-
Uncertain regulatory environment
-
Solar cells contain toxic materials: Arsenic, Gallium, Germanium, Indium and Tellurium
-
Necessary to remove snow in northern climates
''Many industry experts recommend you do not attempt to remove snow from solar panels. Even with a roof rake, doing so may void your solar panel warranty''
— Paradise Energy Solutions
''The best solution is a soft, foam-headed snow broom.''
— Angel-Guard Products
Commercial VAWT
Existing vertical axis wind turbines are a failed technology.
Commercial VAWTs can be divided into two main categories -Savonius and Darrieus. Savonius wind turbines are composed of two or more semi-cylindrical buckets that, thanks to the drag force, cause the vertical shaft to rotate. They can start up with low wind speed independent of the wind direction, but the efficiency (≈ 20%) is typically lower than other conventional rotors. Our computational results show that the power output of the proposed VAWT is approximately 3 times that of traditional Savonius wind turbines. Darrieus wind turbines use two or more airfoil-shaped blades that generate lift force to rotate the main shaft. They have better efficiency for high wind speed, but lower efficiency for low wind speed. In addition, to our knowledge, there are no significant working arrays of vertical axis wind turbines, though several computational studies suggest that these are promising.
Commercial HAWT
The proposed VAWT is comparable with HAWTs.
Unexpectedly, from our computational results our proposed VAWT (optimized geometry) competes favorably with commercial horizontal-axis wind turbines (HAWTs) of similar dimensions.
Unlike HAWTs, the proposed VAWT operates in low-wind situations, supports off-grid wind power systems, and can be tolerated and accommodated in urban, suburban, and exurban areas.
