Performance on the different overlap ratio of a micro-sized savonius wind turbine

Abstract

Wind energy is a constantly growing source of renewable energy and is growing more important as the world switches to renewable sources of energy. Better wind energy solutions are needed to cope with this increasing demand, especially ways to harvest wind energy in areas with low wind speeds. Historically, vertical axis wind turbines (VAWTs) have been a preferred way to harvest wind energy in areas with low wind speed. Therefore, this project will aim to investigate the best overlap ratio for a Savonius VAWT to obtain the best performance. The Savonius VAWT is preferred due to its simplicity in manufacturing and also it’s self-starting capabilities. The overlap ratio of a Savonius VAWT plays an integral part in the design by allowing air to flow in between the blades and therefore affecting the performance of the VAWT. The overlap ratios that were tested were from 0 to 0.3. From the results, it was found that the savonius VAWT with an overlap ratio of 0.3 gave the most satisfactory results overall.