Harnessing of Wind Energy Using Savonius Type Wind Turbine and its Structural Analysis

Abstract

Urgent action to transition towards more sustainable and renewable energy sources is essential. Among them, wind energy is a promising solution whose advantages include renewability, economic viability, and clean energy sources. Creating highway wind turbines aims to join the worldwide movement towards increasing wind energy production, focusing on urban environments. These turbines harness the wind generated by passing vehicles on highways to produce electricity. An optimized compact model of a vertical-axis wind turbine (VAWT) of Savonius type can be planted near highways to utilize wind energy from wind drafts created by moving vehicles, which can be converted into electrical energy. This work focuses on optimizing the design of a VAWT through the following parameter adjustments: number of blades, thickness of blades, and length of the blades, keeping the other blade parameters constant. Twenty-seven different Savonius rotor configurations are designed varying in blade number (2, 3, and 4), blade thickness (1mm, 2mm, and 3mm), and blade height (1m, 1.25m, and 1.5m). CFD simulations are employed to assess the aerodynamic performance of different rotor designs, prioritizing the generation of maximum force on the blades. The maximum force is developed at the rotor for a configuration having two blades with a blade thickness of 1mm and blade height of 1.5m. It is also concluded that a two-bladed rotor provides maximum structural stability and efficiency.