Gerard Khoury, Zaki Alomar, Macole Sabat, Jihad Rishmany, and Michel Daaboul
Computational fluid dynamics, power generation, Savonius wind turbine, shielding, wind tunnel testing
The quest for renewable energy sources has led to increasing interest in harnessing wind energy using various wind turbine designs. The Savonius wind turbine, with its simplicity and ability to operate under low wind speeds, has gained attention for its potential applications in urban areas. However, its major drawback remains its relatively low efficiency. In this context, this paper presents a comprehensive numerical and experimental study aimed at improving the efficiency of the Savonius wind turbine through the implementation of shielding techniques. Various shielding configurations were investigated via computational fluid dynamics simulation. The main objective is redirecting the airflow from the returning blade towards the advancing one. A small- scale prototype was tested in a wind tunnel with different shield configurations to validate the numerical findings. Both numerical and experimental results demonstrated the significant impact of shielding on the turbine’s efficiency. The 30◦–60◦ curtain shield configuration exhibited remarkable improvements in power output and torque generation compared to the unshielded turbine. This study contributes to the ongoing research on wind turbine optimisation and provides valuable insights into the potential of shielding techniques for enhancing the efficiency of Savonius turbines.
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