Experimental Study and Computational Fluid Dynamics Simulation of Savonius Wind Turbines Using L-shaped Composite Blades for Low-wind Speed

Vertical-axis wind turbines (VAWTs) face significant challenges, including low aerodynamic efficiency, unstable aerodynamics, auto-startup issues, and a low power coefficient. Therefore, numerous studies regarding VAWT experiments have been conducted to improve their performance. Looking for gaps, L-shaped blades can be implemented as a promising innovation. This research aims to identify the potential advantages of improving aerodynamic and mechanical responses compared to existing blade products. The research methodology employed experiments and simulations to highlight the differences in results (percentage error) by implementing three geometries (۲, ۳, and ۴ blades) and testing them at average wind speeds of ۴ and ۶ m/s. By measuring RPM, load, torque, tip speed ratio (TSR), and coefficient of power , results unveiled that the ۳-bladed turbine outperformed the ۲- and ۴-bladed geometries. In addition, the best performance of the ۳-bladed turbine was achieved at an average speed of ۴ m/s, as indicated by the measured parameters. Finally, the validation disclosed a mean average error (MAE) of ۱۲.۱۶%, indicating a reasonable agreement between the simulation and experimental results, and the model can be considered acceptable for engineering analysis purposes.

کلیدواژه ها:

Computational fluid dynamics ، Low-wind speed ، L-shaped blades ، Savonius turbine ، Wind energy