RenewableEneryyVol.3, No. 6/7, pp. 781 786, 1993 0960-1481,'93 $6.00+.

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TECHNICAL NOTE

The design of the Banki wind turbine and its testing in real wind conditions

AYMAN A. A L - M A A I T A H
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Engineering Faculty, Mu'tah University,
Mu'tah, A1-Karak, Jordan

(Received 31 July 1992 ; accepted 13 Auyust 1992)

Abstract--This paper discusses a proposed design of the Banki wind turbine based on the classical hydraulic
machines theory. To evaluate that design, a 1 x I m prototype is experimentally investigated in real wind
with and without a guiding vanes system. The turbine has a maximum power coefficient of 0.3 and a cut-
in wind speed of 1.2 m/s. Furthermore, the turbine has a high starting torque and a rigid structure. These
among many other interesting characteristics indicate that the turbine is suitable for water pumping and
electricity generation.

1. INTRODUCTION Their experiments indicate that using vane concentrator

Recent attention to pollution-free energy and renewable
energy resources has promoted research in new types of wind
turbines with more favorable characteristics. Many countries
around the globe have started to adopt energy policies which
considerably take into account wind energy for electricity
generation and water pumping. Although horizontal type
wind turbines are widely used, they usually work at relatively
high rated wind speed. Nevertheless, many regions which
have a lucrative wind energy capacity, as is the case in Jordan
[l], have an average wind speed which is relatively low as
compared with the rated wind speed of the commercially-
known horizontal type wind turbines. Moreover, the wind
direction changes frequently which decreases the efficiency
of horizontal type wind turbines and requires a directing
mechanism. The vertical axis resistance type wind turbines
seem to be suitable for these wind conditions. In addition to
their low wind speed requirements they are independent of
wind direction, rigid in structure, and are usually easy to
manufacture.
A well known resistance type wind turbine is the Savonius
turbine which consists of two blades placed between two
rotating disks. Recently, however, the multi-blade cross-
flow turbine has gained attention due to its high torque and
low cut-in speed characteristics. This turbine is usually called
the Banki wind turbine due to its similarity to the Banki
water turbine. Experiments on similar types were reported
by Champly [2] as early as 1933. The efficiency of the Banki
wind turbine is usually high because energy is bled from wind
in two stages : the first stage is as the wind enters the turbine
hitting the wind facing blades, and the second stage is as it
leaves the turbine hitting the backward facing blades. More-
over, the large number of blades gives the turbine the ability
to have a low cut-in speed and a high starting torque.
Further investigations of the multi-blade resistance-type
wind turbine were performed by Sivasegaram [3]. He per-
formed wind tunnel experiments using models with different
numbers o f blades, different rotor diameters and blade
angles. The maximum efficiency obtained was 15%. Later on
Sivapalan and Sivasegaram [4] investigated similar con-
centrator-augmented-turbines. They investigated a chamber-
like concentration mechanism [5] and vane concentrators.
mechanisms would increase the efficiency significantly. The
maximum power augmentation factor obtained was around
1.5. More recently, Ushiyama et al. [6] performed wind
tunnel experiments on the Banki wind turbine. They com-
pared the characteristics of the turbine for 12, 15 and 18
blade models. They also varied the chord to diameter ratio
while using a pitch angle of 34 °. The turbine has no con-
centrator mechanism and the maximum efficiency obtained
was 12% when 12 blades were used.
Nevertheless, all of the previous investigations were for
turbine design based on intuitions and experimental experi-
ence. No pre-design calculations were performed to find the
optimum angles and optimum proportions of the turbine.
Furthermore, no investigation of the Banki wind turbine was
performed in real wind conditions. In the present paper a
turbine, designed on the basis of turbomachinery principles,
is tested and its characteristics are investigated. A relatively
large prototype, 1 m in diameter and 1 m in height, is placed
at 8 m height and is tested in real wind. Results are obtained
for the turbine with and without a guiding vanes system.
Furthermore, data are presented for steady and unsteady
wind speed conditions.
2. THEORY
The optimum design of the turbine requires the deter-
mination of the optimum blade angles and optimum pro-
portions of the turbine. In doing so the present design is
based on the principles of hydraulic machines theory [7]. For
these principles to be valid, air at the wind speeds under
consideration is rationally assumed to be incompressible and
an inviscid fluid. Furthermore, the Banki wind turbine is to
be designed as an impulse turbine since it operates in open
atmosphere.
A sketch of the inlet and outlet velocity diagrams is shown
in Fig. l for the first stage of the turbine, in which wind
flows over the forward (upstream) facing blades. The air
enters the turbine having a velocity V~ at an angle of attack
of ~ . The tangential tip speed of the blade is U , hence the
relative velocity of the air to the turbine's blade tip is W~
defining the angle/Jr which should be the design blade angle.

781
782 Technical Note

On the other hand, the blade angle/3, can be found from

v O Fig. 1 as

Vr I
tan/3, = V , , Z ~ I . (8)

Substituting eqn (6) into eqn (8) for m a x i m u m utility yields

(
tan/3t = 2tan~L. (9)
Hence at also defines the optimum blade angle/3~. In the
present design/32 is chosen to be 90' so the relative velocity
at point 2, W2 is aiming toward the center of the turbine.
That would result in a more suitable re-entry of air to the
second stage of the turbine so that the direction of the relative
speed at this speed is close to the blade angle at the second
stage. Another possible design is to make V2directed towards
the center of the turbine hence increasing the energy extracted
from the first stage. However, this would result in a larger
blade curvature which increases separation, and it will result
in unsuitable re-entry to the second stage of the turbine.

Fig. 1. Velocity triangle diagram as wind enters and leaves

the first stage in the rotor.
3. DESIGN AND I N S T R U M E N T A T I O N
As shown from eqns (7) and (9) the o p t i m u m blade angles
and turbine proportions depend on the choice of a ~. As ct
decreases the whirl components of inlet air increases and the
energy obtained from the first stage increases. However, ~
In principle, V~ has two components : one that is tangential
cannot be zero or else the wind will not enter the turbine. A
to the turbine's circumference, /:~, and the other that is
reasonable value ofa~ that is used in the Banki water turbine
radial to it, V~. Similarly, one can define V2, V,2, Vr2, U2
is 16". Consequently, and by solving eqn (7), the optimum
and W2 at the outlet of the first stage. Since in the present
r2/r~ ~ 0.7. In the present model r, is chosen to be 0.5 m,
design/32 is taken to be 90 :, then V~2 = I W21.
hence r2 = 0.35 m. Furthermore, eqn (9) yields/3~ ~ 3 0 . The
For impulse turbines the following relation must hold
blade shape is chosen such that it forms an arc with the
~:,~-L:] = W ] - W~. (l) smallest possible curvature which would result in fit of 3ff
and /32 of 90 °. The turbine is chosen to be I m in length.
Consequently, by looking at the velocity triangles at points
Sivasegaram [3] tested a six-blade turbine while Ushiyama
1 and 2, and noting that V~ = V~ sincq and V~ = V~ cos~,
et al. [6] found that the turbine is more effective when the
it can be shown that
number of the blades is minimum, in their case 12 blades. In
W~ = V ~ - 2 U t V , c o s a , + U ~ . (2) the present design the number of the blades is chosen to be
eight resulting in a relatively continuous flow around the
While the continuity equation requires that
blades with m i n i m u m friction losses. The blades are made of
El 0.1 m m aluminum sheet while the upper and lower mounting
Vr2 = W2 : Vrl-', (3) disks are made of 0.2 and 0.5 m m aluminum sheets, respec-
r2
tively. A photograph of the turbine is shown in Fig. 2a--c.
but since The turbine is mounted on a tower on the top of a building
that makes the turbine 8 m above ground level. Four remov-
U2 = U I r2
-, (4) able guiding vanes are placed around the turbine.
rl
The output torque from the turbine is measured by means
then by substituting eqns (3) and (4) into eqn (2) we get of a belt and a two spring-balance mechanism, while the
:"' (,,y+(.,y(r2y
1--2 Vl c ° s 7 1 - - s i n 2 ~ l \r2, ]
\VIJ \rtJ 0. (5)
rotational speed is measured by means of a centrifugal tach-
ometer. The power coefficient of the turbine is calculated as

Pore
However, for m a x i m u m utility of inward flow turbines it is Cp - - I 3 *
,p V;~A
known that
where Poo, is the output power from the turbine, p is air
U I cos %
-- = (6) density, V,~ is the wind speed away from the turbine, and A
V~ 2 is the projected area of the turbine.
eqn (5) becomes Moreover, the dimensionless torque is calculated as
T
r2 + 4 r_z t a n 2 c q _ t a n ~ = 0 . (7) " ~ - - ~p
I V 3- '
\r~l \rj/ ,:Arl

This means that once a t is defined then eqn (7) yields the where T is the torque obtained from the turbine shaft at
optimum inner to outer radius ratio of the turbine rotor. 0.035 m diameter. Finally, we define the augmentation factor
 Technical Note 783

Fig. 2. (a) Photograph of the Banki wind turbine's rotor. (b) Photograph of the tower and the guiding
vanes system. (c) Photograph of the Banki wind turbine when mounted.
784
as
C v (with guiding vanes)
rp = Cv (without guiding vanes)'
4. R E S U L T S A N D D I S C U S S I O N
The turbine was tested in real wind with different wind
conditions. In the present paper test results for steady and
unsteady wind conditions are presented. After measuring the
torque, the rotational speed of the turbine and the wind
speed, both C r and z are calculated as described in section 3.
For a day with a relatively steady wind speed Fig. 3 shows
the variation of Cp and z with the tip speed ratio when the
guiding vanes are installed. The m a x i m u m C v is around 30%,
achieved at U/V of 0.48. The agreement between the design
tip speed ratio, as calculated by eqn (6), with the measured
value of the optimum'tip speed ratio indicates that the design
reasonably predicts the flow behavior. Another interesting
feature is that the power coefficient remains relatively high
(above 0.25) for tip speed ratios that fall between 0.35 and
0.6. This wide range of tip speed ratios which corresponds
to high efficiency is quite suitable for electricity generation.
Furthermore, the results demonstrate that the turbine oper-
ates efficiently at a low range of U~/V~,hence the Banki wind
turbine is exposed to much less centrifugal force as compared
with the horizontal type wind turbines.
Another important characteristic of wind turbines is the
nondimensional torque z. The variation of z with the tip
speed ratio for the Banki wind turbine investigated in this
paper is also demonstrated in Fig. 3. It is clear that the
nondimensional torque increases linearly with decreasing
U~/V~. This results in a high starting torque which is a very
favorable property of any wind turbine, especially when
noting that most vertical axis wind turbines, in particular
the Daruis type, suffer from low starting torque defect.
The variation of the mechanical output power, at constant
load torque, with wind speed velocity is shown in Fig. 4. The
turbine has a very low cut-in speed of 1.2 m/s. This might be
attributed to the high starting torque demonstrated in Fig.
35 0.20
0.18
30 - t~.,~ ,a / d ~
0.16
25 0.14
0.12
20
O. lO ,~
u 15 0.08
0.06
IO -
0.04
5 -
0.02
I I I 0
0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8
UIIV I
Fig. 3. Variation of the power coefficient and the non-
dimensional torque with tip speed ratio in steady wind speed
conditions. The guiding vanes are installed. © - - , Cp:
A ,T.
Technical Note
50 --
40 --
3o-
20 --
10 --
I I
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
V 1 (msec)
Fig. 4. Variation of mechanical output power with wind
speed.
3. Moreover, Fig. 4 demonstrates another important charac-
teristic of the tested Banki wind turbine. That is, when aug-
mented by guiding vanes the turbine controls its output
power at high wind speed without the need of a pitch control
or separation control mechanism. Hence the rated wind
speed is an inherited characteristic of the Banki wind turbine
without the need of expensive equipment and a control mech-
anism to reduce output power for the purpose of protecting
the turbine. This self-regulating characteristic of the Banki
wind turbine can be attributed to many co-working factors :
firstly, when wind speed increases beyond a certain level the
flow separates from both the guiding vanes and the turbine
blades at adverse pressure gradient sides which result in
hydraulic energy losses ; secondly, the large number of tur-
bine blades contributes to the self-regulating process in two
mechanisms. The first mechanism is that different blades
have different angles of attack simulating the pitch control
mechanism in horizontal type wind turbines. The second
mechanism depends on the fact that for high rotational
speed, and due to the relatively large number of blades, wind
will be faced with a semi-solid obstacle, hence the flow rate
across the turbine will be reduced. Unlike the multi-blade
horizontal axis wind-mill, the flow across the multi-blade
Banki turbine has to cross a much greater distance, hence
the self-regulating mechanism is much more pronounced for
high wind speed.
In Fig. 5 the variation of C v with Uj/Vj is shown for the
same wind conditions as in Fig. 3. This time, however, the
guiding vanes are not installed. The power coefficient is much
less than that demonstrated in Fig. 3 since the turbine oper-
ates like a multi-blade Savonius type turbine. A m a x i m u m
C~ of 0.16 was achieved while the Cp curve seems to be more
flattened as compared with that of Fig. 3. On the other hand,
also adversely varies with U~/VI in a linear fashion.
Figure 6 demonstrates the variation of the augmentation
factor rp with tip speed ratio. The m a x i m u m augmentation
factor of 2 is achieved at a tip speed ratio of 0.47 which is
the design U~/V~form a x i m u m utility. However, even when
the tip speed ratio is not the design one, rp remains larger
than unity. This is due to the fact that the vanes shield the
 Technical Note 785

25
28 9 0.13

24 0.12
8 20
0.11
20 ~4 7
0.10
~ 16 6~, 15
~ . 12 5
-
t-,
! 0.09
0.08 '¢

8 4 -- 0.07
0.06
3 _ "~
-- 0.05
I I I I I I I 2 -- 0.04
0. I 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8
Ux/V 1
o I I I 0.03
0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6
Fig. 5. Variation of the power coefficient and the non- UI/V l
dimensional torque with tip speed ratio in steady wind speed
conditions. The guiding vanes are not installed. - - © - - , Cp ; Fig. 7. Variation of the power coefficient and the non-
A ,z. dimensional torque with tip speed ratio in unsteady wind
speed conditions. The guiding vanes are installed. © ,
Cv; A , z.

2.2 --

2.0 -- 5. C O N C L U S I O N S
When comparing the results obtained in the present inves-
1.8 - - tigation with those obtained in the wind tunnel experiments
of Ushiyama et al. (6), the behavior of the turbines is quali-
.~" 1.6 -- tatively similar. Both results demonstrate a torque charac-
teristic that varies linearly with the tip speed ratio, and an
operation range that corresponds to low U~/V t values. How-
1.4 J ever, the present design of the turbine results in a higher
power coefficient. When the guiding vanes are installed the
1.2 high Cp of the present design is due to the fact that wind is
directed in the optimum design angles and the wind which
causes drag on the upstream traveling blade is shielded.
t.0 ] I ) ] [ ] I )
Although the power coefficient of the present design when
0 0. l 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8
the guiding vanes are not installed is of the same scale as that
UIIV l in ref. [6], the present design has a slightly higher power
coefficient. This is due to two reasons : firstly, the presently
Fig. 6. The variation of the augmentation factor with tip investigated turbine is designed on the basis of the hydraulic
speed ratio. machine theory to yield m a x i m u m utility and efficiency while
the design of ref. [6] was based on intuition and exper-
imentation ; secondly, the large size of the present turbine,
as compared with that of ref. [6], reduces the proportion of
lost power dissipated in bearing friction and other factors as
compared with the total output power which results in higher
upstream moving blades hence reducing undesirable drag on efficiency.
the turbine. Similar results for augmentation systems were To conclude, the results presented demonstrate that the
obtained in ref. [4]. proposed design of the Banki wind turbine produces a tur-
The results presented in Fig. 7 are obtained when the tur- bine with m a n y favorable characteristics. This turbine oper-
bine is tested during a day of unsteady wind speed conditions. ates at high efficiency, has a rigid structure, its performance
It is clear that the power coefficient in these conditions drops is independent of wind direction, and it has an inherited self-
to about 0.23. This is due to the high turbulence in the wind regulating mechanism. These characteristics, a m o n g others,
which significantly affects the performance of the turbine. recommend the Banki turbine to be considered for full-scale
Moreover, the Cp curve gets sharpened around the optimum application in wind energy.
U~/V~. Nevertheless, and since the data were taken manually,
the accuracy of these results is questionable due to the
inability to accurately synchronize the wind speed readings Acknowled,qement--This work is supported by the Jordanian
with the torque and rotational speed measurements. Higher Council for Science and Technology.
786 Technical Note

NOMENCLATURE REFERENCES
V~ wind velocity at the inlet of the turbine 1. S. M. Habali, M. A. A. Hamdan, B. A. Jubran and
U; the tip speed of the turbine's blade A. I. O. Zaid, Assessment and applications of wind
W~ the relative wind velocity at the inlet to first stage energy in Jordan. Solar Energy 40, 99 105 (1988).
Vu~ the tangential component of wind velocity at the inlet 2. R. Champly, Thkorie, construction, montage, utilisation,
to first stage au puisage de l'eau et ~ la production de l'blectricit&
Vr~ the radial component of wind velocity at the inlet to Dunod, Paris (1933).
first stage 3. S. Sivasegaram, An experimental investigation of a class
r~ the turbine's outer radius of resistance-type, direction-independent wind turbines.
r2 the turbine's inner radius Energy 3, 23 30 (1978).
c¢~ the wind angle of attack 4. S. Sivapatan and S. Sivasegaram, Direction-independent,
fll the blade angle at the outer diameter concentrator-augmented, slow-running wind rotors.
W2 the relative wind velocity at the outlet to first stage Wind Engineering 4, 134~141 (1980).
Vo2 the tangential component of wind velocity at the out- 5. A. Sabzevari, Performance characteristics ofconcentrator
let to first stage augmented Savonius wind rotors. Wind Engineering 1,
V,2 the radial component of wind velocity at the outlet to 198 206 (1977).
first stage 6. I. Ushiyama, N. Isshiki and G. Z. Chai, Experimentally
f12 the blade angle at the inner diameter evaluating the design and performance of cross-flow wind
p air density rotors. Energy and the Environment in the 1990s, 1st Worm
A area of the turbine projected to wind Renewable Energy Congress (Edited by A. A. Sayigh).
Pout the output mechanical power from the turbine Pergamon Press, Oxford (1990).
T the output torque from the turbine 7. D. G. Shepherd, Principles q[ Turbomachinary. Mac-
Cp the power coefficient millan, New York (1975).
z the nondimensional torque
rp the augmentation factor.