Design, Optimization, Fabrication and Off-design Performance Investigation of Vertical Axis Wind Turbine

Wind power is one of the most promising clean energy sources. Since we cannot control the atmospheric conditions, it is important to analyze the wind turbine performance against unsteady, non-uniform flow conditions. This study focuses on design, optimization and off-design performance analysis of vertical axis wind turbine using numerical techniques. Baseline design would be estimated using analytical models and literature review. Preliminary design would then be modified to get a detailed design using Computational Fluent Dynamics. CFD model would be subjected to validation using experimental results which would also include mesh and turbulence model independence studies. Then, effect of various design parameters of turbine blades on turbine performance would be analyzed by varying one variable at a time. Subsequently, a box-behnken design of experiment would be incorporated to achieve various turbine designs. Unsteady CFD simulations with rotating mesh would be performed at all these designs. The results would be mathematically modelled using neural network based regression techniques. This mathematical model would be subjected to Genetic Algorithm based optimization. Final optimized design would then be thoroughly investigated at design and off design wind conditions. In this case performance variation will be evaluated when the turbine blades fall within the planetary boundary layer as well as wind gusts. Then, a comparative analysis would be carried out to investigate variation in wind turbine performance under non uniform conditions compared to baseline performance at uniform flow conditions. Similar comparison would also made on single blade response at various azimuthal position for all flow conditions. Finally, optimized wind turbine would be fabricated and installed for power generation purposes.