Design and Fabrication of Wind Turbine: Dept. of Mech. Engg., VIIT, Visakhapatnam

Design and Fabrication of wind Turbine
1.1 INTRODUCTION
Wind energy is the world’s fastest growing technology. It is a clean energy source
that is reliable, efficient and reduces the cost of energy for farmers, home owners and
business. Energy generated from wind turbine is increasingly in demand. Wind power is
now comparable in price with the most common energy sources such as coal and natural
gas.
The use of wind power for electricity generation is a modern phenomenon; mankind
has harnessed the power of the wind for thousands of years. The main use of wind power
in ancient and medieval times was for irrigation and grinding grains. One of the first
recorded wind machines was a wind powered organ designed by Heron of Alexandria in
the 1st century as shown in the figure 1.
Figure 1.1 Heron’s Wind machine
Dept. of Mech. Engg., VIIT, Visakhapatnam Page 1

1.2 LITERATURE REVIEW
Human beings have been putting the wind to useful work for a very long time. Sailing
vessels provided the primary means of intercontinental travel until only a few hundred
years ago. Stationary machines that converted the wind’s energy into mechanical force
were first developed in the Near East. As early as 1700 BC, Hammurabi employed
windmills to water the plains of Mesopotamia. Evidence of other early windmills exists in
Iran, Afghanistan, and China. All of the earliest windmills utilized a vertical axis and
were used for milling grains or pumping water. As such, this technology played a major
role in the widespread cultural shift from nomadic, hunter-gatherer cultures to permanent,
agricultural settlement.
The horizontal-axis windmill was developed significantly later, circa 1100 AD. “As
the most important driving engine apart from the water wheel, it spread from England and
France via Holland, Germany (1200s) and Poland to Russia (1300s)”. The basic design of
the horizontal-axis windmill underwent numerous iterations, culminating in the Dutch
“Smock mill” in the 1700s and 1800s, which saw very widespread use throughout much
of Europe.
The American farm windmill was developed in the mid-1800s and is readily
recognizable by the numerous metal blades creating a rosette-like swept area. Utilized
primarily for providing drinking water for humans and livestock, this technological
innovation was responsible for opening up much of America’s arid west for ranching and
agriculture. Capable of pumping water from much greater depths, these mills are a
common sight even today, not only in the American West but also in Australia and
Argentina where the needs are quite similar.
Wind was not commonly utilized to spin generators for the production of electricity
until the 20th century. “During the1930s, when only 10 percent of the nation’s farms were
served by electricity, literally thousands of small wind turbines were in use, primarily on
the Great Plains. These home light plants provided the only source of electricity to
homesteaders in the days before the Rural Electrification Administration (REA) brought
electricity to all.” The old Jacobs turbines and other wind generators from this era were
often salvaged by the first advocates of renewable energy during the oil crisis of the
1970s.

Indeed, many are still flying and reliably producing power today—a testament to the
simple and rugged construction of these units. However, the choices available to
researchers are now far greater, with power-to-weight ratios more favorable for remote
installations.
Due to the ever-increasing economic viability of the technology and the relatively
ubiquitous nature of the resource, wind turbines are also finding an increasingly broader
application in the global energy production market. Denmark has long been a leader in
large wind turbine manufacture and currently provides more than 20% of the nation’s
electrical power requirement using this clean, renewable energy source. Germany is now
the world’s leading producer of large wind turbines, and an ever-increasing percentage of
that nation’s electrical demand is being produced from grid-interconnected wind farms.
Spain is also rapidly becoming a global leader in wind turbine technology, boasting many
large, grid-connected wind farms and a healthy export business of Spanish-built turbines.
While the United States currently meets less than 2% of the national electrical energy
requirement with wind power, there are nevertheless some very large installations.
Several states have now enacted regulation, mandated by popular demand, requiring
utilities to generate certain percentages of the total power via renewable energy sources.
Since wind power is currently far and away the most cost effective method to generate
utility scale power from an environmental resource, large wind farm installations are
likely to become a familiar feature of the landscape.
These enormous wind turbines are fascinating and herald a major movement away
from conventional, centralized fossil-fuel-fired generating facilities. There is no doubt
that wind-generated electricity will continue to become an increasing part of the global
energy production mix in the 21st century.

1.3 OBJECTIVE AND SCOPE OF PROJECT
Based on the open sources report review and critical observations the objective of the
present work is to design and develop a small scale wind turbine. The project will
involve the design and fabrication of a small scale horizontal axis wind turbine. Small
scale wind turbine is chosen because small wind systems can be an important component
of a power system that’s more affordable, secure and sustainable. This wind
turbine/generator should be capable of generating above 12V of voltage so that it is
capable of charging a battery.
1.4 ORGANISATION OF THE THESIS
The thesis comprises of six chapters. This introductory chapter starts with a
discussion on wind turbine; the published important literatures related to these areas are
reviewed. Next, the objective of the thesis is defined and an outline of the thesis is
presented.
Chapter 2 presents introduction to wind energy, wind turbine and its types.
Chapter 3 comprises of the description and design of components like blades,

Mounting and tail.
Chapter 4 comprises fabrication of designed components.
Chapter 5 comprises of test results and recommendation for future scope.
Chapter 6 comprises of conclusions
A list of references is included at the en

2.1 WIND TURBINE
A wind turbine is a device that converts kinetic energy from the wind into mechanical
energy. If the mechanical energy is used to produce electricity, the device may be called a
wind generator or wind charger. If the mechanical energy is used to drive machinery,
such as for grinding grain or pumping water, the device is called a windmill or wind
pump. Developed for over a millennium, today's wind turbines are manufactured in a
range of vertical and horizontal axis types. The smallest turbines are used for applications
such as battery charging or auxiliary power on sailing boats; while large grid-connected
arrays of turbines are becoming an increasingly large source of commercial electric
power.
Wind turbines, like aircraft propeller blades, turn in the moving air and power an
electric generator that supplies an electric current. Simply stated, a wind turbine is the
opposite of a fan. Instead of using electricity to make wind, like a fan, wind turbines use
wind to make electricity. The wind turns the blades, which spin a shaft, which connects to
a generator and makes electricity.
2.2 WHY WE USE WIND TURBINE

We use wind turbine because wind for now is the renewable energy resource and
technology of choice. It was a “free” resource and naturally. Also it’s a “clean” resource
due to replacement of a “dirty” energy source (coal) and no emissions associated with its
use. Wind turbine can be utilized on underutilized land or on lands currently in
commodity crop production which is can be “harvest” on the surface and “harvest” above
the surface. Then it will primarily be used for electricity generation for immediate end-
use or as a “driver” for hydrogen production.
As we are known basically energy use in power plants accounts for 67% of air
emissions of Sulfur Dioxide (SOB2B), the primary cause of acid rain. SO 2 causes
acidification of lakes and damages forests and other habitats. Hence, 25% of Nitrous
Oxide (NOx) causes smog in respiratory ailments.
Also 33% of Hg, a persistent, bio-accumulative toxin which increases in
concentration as it moves up the food chain which is example from fish to birds, causing
serious deformities and nerve disorders.
Wind turbine one of the best choose that we have because it was no air emissions such
as Sulfur Dioxide (SOB2B), Nitrous Oxide (NOx), or Mercury Emissions. Also don’t have

Greenhouse Gas Emissions. Then it no need for fuel to mine, transport, or store for the
source. It doesn’t need any equipment like cooling water that always use at fuel engine
and nuclear reactor. They are never making pollution i.e., water pollution that always
produces by mine activity.
2.3 WIND ENERGY
Wind is the flow of gases on a large scale. Wind is a clean source of renewable energy
that produces no air or water pollution. To best harness the wind as an energy source, one
must be able to understand the dynamics, which create and influence the flow of air from
one region to another. The two primary causes for air flow are:
 REGIONAL TEMPERATURE DIFFERENCES: The wind caused by temperature

differences occurs primarily along the north-south axis of the Earth, as the largest
temperature gradient is between the poles and the equator.
 EARTH’S ROTATION: The rotation of the Earth generates wind on an east-west
axis, as that is the direction of the rotation.
Wind behavior is not easily predictable on a local scale. It is affected by local causes.
They are:
 SEA AND LAND BREEZES: In coastal regions, sea breezes and land breezes can
be important factors in a location’s prevailing winds. The sea is warmed by the sun
more slowly because of water’s greater specific heat compared to land. As the
temperature of the surface of the land rises, the land heats the air above it by
conduction. The warm air is less dense than the surrounding environment and so it
rises. This causes a pressure gradient of about 2 milli bar from the ocean to the land.
The cooler air above the sea, now with higher sea level pressure, flows inland into the
lower pressure, creating a cooler breeze near the coast. When large-scale winds are
calm, the strength of the sea breeze is directly proportional to the temperature
difference between the land mass and sea.

Figure 2.1 Sea and land breezes
At night, the land cools off more quickly than the ocean because of differences in
their specific heat values. This temperature change causes the daytime sea breeze to
dissipate. When the temperature at onshore cools below the temperature at offshore, the
pressure over the water will be lower than that of the land, establishing a land breeze, as
long as an onshore wind is not strong enough to oppose it.
 NEAR MOUNTAIN
Figure 2.2 Mountain Wave Schematic
Over elevated surfaces, heating of the ground exceeds the heating of the surrounding
air the same altitude above sea level, creating an associated thermal low over the terrain
and enhancing any thermal lows that would have otherwise existed, and changing the
wind circulation of the region. In areas where there is rugged topography that
significantly interrupts the environmental wind flow, the wind circulation between
mountains and valleys is the most important contributor to the prevailing winds.

Hills and valleys substantially distort the airflow by increasing friction between the
atmosphere and landmass by acting as a physical block to the flow, deflecting the wind
parallel to the range just upstream of the topography, which is known as a barrier jet. This
barrier jet can increase the low level wind by 45%. Wind direction also changes because
of the contour of the land.
If there is a pass in the mountain range, winds will rush through the pass with
considerable speed because of the Bernoulli principle that describes an inverse
relationship between speed and pressure.
In mountainous areas, local distortion of the airflow becomes severe. Jagged terrain
combines to produce unpredictable flow patterns and turbulence, such as rotors, which
can be topped by ventricular clouds. Strong updrafts, downdrafts and eddies develop as
the air flows over hills and down valleys. Orthographic precipitation occurs on the
windward side of mountains and is caused by the rising air motion of a large-scale flow of
moist air across the mountain ridge, also known as upslope flow, resulting
in adiabatic cooling and condensation.
2.3.1 INTRODUCTION TO WIND POWER
 Wind energy is a renewable energy source

 Wind energy basically transformed of the sun’s energy.
 It is a pollution-free energy source.
 Wind energy is the kinetic energy of the air in motion.
 Wind energy is mostly used to generate electricity.
Wind possesses energy by virtue of its motion. Any device capable of slowing down the
mass of moving air, like a sail or propeller, can extract part of the energy and convert is
into useful work. Three factors determine the output from wind energy converter is
I. The wind speed

II. The cross-section of wind swept by the rotor and
III. The overall conversion efficiency of the rotor, transmission system and
generator or pump.

The power in the wind can be computed by using the concepts of kinetics. The
kinetic energy of any particle is known as wind power given by the following
formula
Kinetic Energy (P) = .5 v2………………….. (1)
Amount of Air passing is m =ρav…………………..(2)

Where,
A=area swept by the rotating blades of wind mill type generator
m = mass of air traversing ρ= Density of air V= velocity of air
Total wind power is: P = ρ
Wind power is thus proportional to the third power of the wind velocity.
BETZ LIMIT: No wind turbine can convert more than 59.3% of kinetic energy into
mechanical energy turning a rotor. This known as BETZ limits, and is the theoretical
maximum coefficient of power for any wind turbine.
Some 80% of the global wind power market is now centered in just four
countries which reflect the failure of most other nations to adopt supportive
renewable energy policies.
Country
Installed capacity
(inGermany
MW) 18.428
Spain 10.027
U.S.A 9.149
India 4.43
Denmark 3.122
Table 2.1 Countries With Installed Capacity

2.3.2 INDIA’S OVERVIEW OF WIND ENERGY
OVERVIEW
India has vast supply of renewable energy resources. India has one of the world’s
largest programs for deployment of renewable energy products and systems 3,700 mw form
renewable energy sources installed.
States with Potential MW Installed MW

strong potential
Andhra Pradesh 8285 93
Gujarat 9675 173
Karnataka 6620 124
Madhya Pradesh 5500 23
Maharashtra 3650 401
Orissa 1700 1
Rajasthan 5400 61
Tamil Nadu 3050 990
Table 2.2 States with strong potential
2.3.3 ADVANTAGES OF WIND ENERGY
ECONOMIC ADVANTAGES
 Developing local sources to meet our energy needs means that we import less
fuel from other states, regions, and nation.
 Wind energy has no fuel expenditures.

 Wind energy can relieve fossil fuels shortage.
 Wind energy can also help diversify the economies of rural communities.
 Wind energy is a hedge for the future as our traditional fossils fuels become
scarcer and public policies assign environmental costs to sources of pollution.
ENVIRONMENTAL ADVANTAGES
 Most people are aware that burning coal releases harmful particulate emissions
that cause breathing problems and asthma, and that it releases sulfur dioxide and
nitrogen oxides, which cause acid rain.
 Coal is also one of the primary contributors of the carbon dioxide that causes
global warming and mercury contamination of our lakes and fish.
 Natural gas is a better option than coal, but it still produces considerable air
pollution and contributes to global warming.
 Wind energy can be good alternative to nuclear energy in areas with favorable
climate conditions.
 Nuclear energy produces no particulate emissions, but it creates dangerous

radioactive wastes which will require thousands of years of careful storage.
 All three sources--coal, gas, and nuclear power--are limited fuels. Today, they
compose the bulk of our electric generation sources.
Wind, on the other hand, is a completely renewable fuel source. As long as the sun shines,
the winds will blow. And wind power produces no health risks and no air pollution.
2.3.4 DISADVANTAGES OF WIND ENERGY
 Wind energy is an intermittent resource: we get electricity only when the wind
blows.
 Although modern wind turbines regulate power well and level off at their rated
capacity, the amount of power they produce varies throughout the day.

 Hundreds of installations have demonstrated that utility systems are capable of

accommodating the changing wind power just as they modify their output to
follow changing demand.
 Experts predict that wind power can compose up to 30% of our energy mix before
reliability of the system would be an issue.
 Wind energy is also capital intensive. That's why local, state, and federal
governments must support wind energy development through production
incentives and public policy to encourage its growth and technological
advancement.
2.4 TYPES OF WIND TURBINES

2.4.1 HORIZONTAL-AXIS WIND TURBINES (HAWTS)
Today, these turbines are widely used. We are able to see them in many locations
such as open fields. This model presents a blade which is similar to the airplane propeller
but much bigger. Some models are smaller being suitable for residential locations.
Figure 2.3 Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine
The turbines are mounted on tall towers of about 30 meters and sometimes even
higher. They present a fan which actions as a rotor that faces the wind. These tall towers
offer the advantage of stronger wind that is actually less turbulent as high altitude ensures
fewer currents.

In this system, each blade plays the role of an airplane’s wing. If the wind blows, the
blades create low pressure that pulls the mechanism towards the current. This actually
turns the blade, thing that is simply named “lift”. This force is very strong as it actually
defeats the wind’s force. The force which is presented by blade’s front side is named
“drag”. The combination that is ensured by the “lift” and “drag” forces spins the rotor
similar to an airplane’s propeller.
Once the blades turn and engage the entire mechanism a generator stores the energy
and transforms it into electricity. Then, the electricity is directed towards a converter box,
which delivers power for electrical equipment.
The wind turbines can deliver the same energy even in the worst environments.
Everything they need is the wind and for a proper functionality, they have to be placed in
windy locations.
Horizontal-axis wind turbines have the main rotor shaft and electrical generator at the
top of a tower, and must be pointed into the wind. Small turbines are pointed by a
simple wind vane, while large turbines generally use a wind sensor coupled with a servo
motor. Most have a gearbox, which turns the slow rotation of the blades into a quicker
rotation that is more suitable to drive an electrical generator.
Downwind machines have been built, despite the problem of turbulence (mast wake),
because they don't need an additional mechanism for keeping them in line with the wind,
and because in high winds the blades can be allowed to bend which reduces their swept
area and thus their wind resistance. Since cyclical turbulence may lead to fatigue failures,
most HAWTs are of upwind design.
2.4.2 HORIZONTAL AXIS WIND TURBINE ADVANTAGES
 Variable blade pitch, which gives the turbine blades the optimum angle of attack.
Allowing the angle of attack to be remotely adjusted gives greater control, so the
turbine collects the maximum amount of wind energy for the time of day and season.
 The tall tower base allows access to stronger wind in sites with wind shear. In
some wind shear sites, every ten meters up, the wind speed can increase by 20% and
the power output by 34%.
 High efficiency, since the blades always moves perpendicularly to the wind,
receiving power through the whole rotation. In contrast, all vertical axis wind
turbines, and most proposed airborne wind turbine designs, involve various types of
reciprocating actions, requiring airfoil surfaces to backtrack against the wind for part
of the cycle. Backtracking against the wind leads to inherently lower efficiency.
2.4.3 HORIZONTAL AXIS WIND TURBINE DISADVANTAGES
 The tall towers and blades up to 90 meters long are difficult to transport.
Transportation can now cost 20% of equipment costs.
 Tall HAWTs are difficult to install, needing very tall and expensive cranes and
skilled operators.
 Massive tower construction is required to support the heavy blades, gearbox, and
generator.
 Reflections from tall HAWTs may affect side lobes of radar installations creating
signal clutter, although filtering can suppress it.
 Downwind variants suffer from fatigue and structural failure caused by
turbulence when a blade passes through the tower's wind shadow (for this reason, the
majority of HAWTs use an upwind design, with the rotor facing the wind in front of
the tower).
 HAWTs require an additional yaw control mechanism to turn the blades toward
the wind.

Figure 2.4 Wind turbine configurations
2.4.4 VERTICAL AXIS WIND TURBINES (VAWTS)

Figure 2.5 Vertical Axis Wind turbine
Vertical Axis Wind Turbines have the main rotor shaft arranged vertically. Key
advantages of this arrangement are that the turbine does not need to be pointed into the wind
to be effective. This is an advantage on sites where the wind direction is highly variable, for
example when integrated into buildings. The key disadvantages include the low rotational
speed with the consequential higher torque and hence higher cost of the drive train, the
inherently lower power coefficient, the 360 degree rotation of the aero foil within the wind
flow during each cycle and land hence the highly dynamic loading on the blade, the pulsating
torque generated by some rotor.
Designs on the drive train, and the difficulty of modeling the wind flow accurately and
hence the challenges of analyzing and designing the rotor prior to fabricating a prototype.
With a vertical axis, the generator and gearbox can be placed near the ground, using a direct
drive from the rotor assembly to the ground-based gearbox, hence improving accessibility for
maintenance.
When a turbine is mounted on a rooftop, the building generally redirects wind over the
roof and this can be double the wind speed at the turbine. If the height of the rooftop mounted
turbine tower is approximately 50% of the building height, this is near the optimum for
maximum wind energy and minimum wind turbulence. It should be borne in mind that wind
speeds within the built environment are generally much lower than at exposed rural sites.
Another type of vertical axis is the Parallel turbine similar to the cross flow centrifugal fan it
uses the ground effect. Vertical axis turbines of this type have been tried for many years: a
large unit producing up to 10 kW was built by Israeli wind pioneer Bruce Brill in 1980s: the
device is mentioned in Dr. Moshe Dan Hirsch's 1990 report, which decided the Israeli energy
department investments and support in the next 20 years.
2.4.4.1 SUBTYPES
Subtypes of the vertical axis design include
I. DARRIEUS TURBINE
"Eggbeater" turbines, or Darrieus turbines, were named after the French inventor,
Georges Darrieus. They have good efficiency, but produce large torque ripple and
cyclical stress on the tower, which contributes to poor reliability. Darrieus wind turbines
are not self-starting. Therefore, they also generally require some external power source,

or an additional Savonius rotor to start turning, because the starting torque is very low.
The torque ripple is reduced by using three or more blades which results in greater
solidity of the rotor. Solidity is measured by blade area divided by the rotor area. Newer
Darrieus type turbines are not held up by guy wires but have an external superstructure
connected to the top bearing. The cyclo turbine variety has variable pitch to reduce the
torque pulsation and is self-starting.
The advantages of variable pitch are
 high starting torque,

 a wide, relatively flat torque curve,
 a lower blade speed ratio,
 a higher coefficient of performance,
 more efficient operation in turbulent winds, and
 A lower blade speed ratio which lowers blade bending stresses. Straight, V, or
curved blades may be used.
Variants of the Darrieus wind turbine are the giromill and cycloturbine.
II. GIROMILL
A Giromill is a Darrieus type vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT) generator. Unlike the
more common Savonius VAWT, the Giromill wind turbine uses lift forces generated by
vertical aerofoils to convert wind energy into rotational mechanical energy.
The giromill was included in Darrieus's 1927 patent for vertical aerofoil powered vertical
axis wind turbines, however development is now starting again on new giromill’s which
take advantage of modern ultra-strong light materials to produce turbine blades robust
enough to cope with the stresses they are put under.
The grimily is typically powered by two or three vertical aerofoils attached to the

central mast by horizontal supports. While it is cheaper and easier to build than a standard
Darrieus turbine, itis less efficient, also requires strong winds (or a motor) to start, and
can sometimes struggle to maintain a steady rate of rotation. However, they work well in
turbulent wind conditions and are an affordable option where a standard horizontal axis
wind mill turbine type is suitable.

III.
Figure 2.6 Giromill Vertical axis wind Turbine
CYCLOTURBINE
Figure 2.7 Cycloturbine
A variant of the Giromill is the Cycloturbine (pictured above) which uses a vane to

mechanically orient the pitch of the blades for maximum efficiency. This gives the
cycloturbine the advantage over other Darrieus wind turbines of self-starting. In low
winds the blades are pitched flat against the wind generating drag forces and starting the
turbine turning. As the rotational speed increases the blades are pitched so that the wind
flows across the aero foils generating lift forces and accelerating the turbine.
Advantages of Darrieus Wind Turbine
A Darrieus wind turbine can spin at many times the speed of the wind hitting it (i.e.
the tip speed ratio (TSR) is greater than 1).
 Darrieus wind turbine generates less torque than a Savonius but it rotates much
faster.
 This makes Darrieus wind turbines much better suited to electricity generation
rather than water pumping and similar activities.

 The centrifugal forces generated by a Darrieus turbine are very large and act on
the turbine blades which therefore have to be very strong - however the forces on the
bearings and generator are usually lower than are the case with a Savonius.
IV. SAVONIUS WIND TURBINE
The Savonius turbine is one of the simplest turbines. Aerodynamically, it is a drag -

type device, consisting of two or three scoops. Looking down on the rotor from above, a
two-scoop machine would look like an "S" shape in cross section. Because of
the curvature, the scoops experience less drag when moving against the wind than when
moving with the wind. The differential drag causes the Savonius turbine to spin. Because
they are drag-type devices.
Figure 2.8 Savonius Turbine
Savonius turbine extracts much less of the wind's power than other similarly-sized
lift-type turbines. Much of the swept area of a Savonius rotor may be near the ground, if it
has a small mount without an extended post, making the overall energy extraction less
effective due to the lower wind speeds found at lower heights. Savonius turbines are used
whenever cost or reliability is much more important than
TWISTED SAVONIUS
Twisted Savonius is a modified savonius, with long helical scoops to give a smooth
torque. This is mostly used as roof wind turbine or on some boats.
2.4.5 ADVANTAGESOF VERTICAL AXIS WIND TURBINE

 A massive tower structure is less frequently used, as VAWTs are more frequently
mounted with the lower bearing mounted near the ground.
 Designs without yaw mechanisms are possible with fixed pitch rotor designs.
 A VAWT can be located nearer the ground, making it easier to maintain the moving
parts.
 VAWTs have lower wind startup speeds than HAWTs. Typically, they start creating
electricity at 6 M.P.H. (10 km/h).
 VAWTs may have a lower noise signature.
2.4.6 DISADVANTAGES OF VERTICAL AXIS WIND TURBINE
 Most VAWTs produce energy at only 50% of the efficiency of HAWTs in large part
because of the additional drag that they have as their blades rotate into the wind.
 While VAWTs' parts are located on the ground, they are also located under the weight
of the structure above it, which can make changing out parts nearly impossible
without dismantling the structure if not designed properly.
 Having rotors located close to the ground where wind speeds are lower due to wind
shear.
 VAWTs may not produce as much energy at a given site as a HAWT with the same
footprint or
 Height because, VAWTs are not commonly deployed due mainly to the serious
disadvantages mentioned above, they appear novel to those not familiar with the wind
industry. This has often made them the subject of wild claims and investment scams
over the last 50 years.
2.5 WIND TURBINE GLOSSARY
Anemometer: Measures the wind speed and transmits wind speed data to the controller.
Blades: Most turbines have either two or three blades. Wind blowing over the blades
causes the blades to "lift" and rotate.

Figure 2.9 Components of Wind turbine
Brake: A disc brake which can be applied mechanically, electrically, or hydraulically to

stop the rotor in emergencies
Controller: The controller starts up the machine at wind speeds of about 8 to 16 miles
per hour (mph) and shuts off the machine at about 65 mph. Turbines cannot operate at
wind speeds about 65 mph because their generators could overheat.
Gear box: Gears connect the low-speed shaft to the high-speed shaft and increase the
rotational speeds from about 30 to 60 rotations per minute (rpm) to about 1200 to 1500
rpm, the rotational speed required by most generators to produce electricity.
The gear box is a costly (and heavy) part of the wind turbine and engineers are exploring
"direct-drive" generators that operate at lower rotational speeds and don't need gear
boxes.
Generator: Usually an off-the-shelf induction generator that produces 60-cycle AC

electricity.
High-speed shaft: Drives the generator. Low-speed shaft: The rotor turns the low-speed
shaft at about 30 to 60 rotations per minute.
Nacelle: The rotor attaches to the nacelle, which sits atop the tower and includes the gear
box, low- and high-speed shafts, generator, controller, and brake. A cover protects the
components inside the nacelle. Some nacelles are large enough for a technician to stand
inside while working.
Pitch: Blades are turned, or pitched, out of the wind to keep the rotor from turning in
winds that are too high or too low to produce electricity.

Rotor: The blades and the hub together are called the rotor.
Tower: Towers are made from tubular steel (shown here) or steel lattice. Because wind
speed increases with height, taller towers enable turbines to capture more energy and
generate more electricity.
Wind direction: This is an "upwind" turbine, so-called because it operates facing into the
wind.
Other turbines are designed to run "downwind", facing away from the wind.
Wind vane: Measures wind direction and communicates with the yaw drive to orient the
turbine properly with respect to the wind.
Yaw drive: Upwind turbines face into the wind; the yaw drive is used to keep the rotor
facing into the wind as the wind direction changes. Downwind turbines don't require a
yaw drive, the wind blows the rotor downwind.
Yaw motor: Powers the yaw drive
Power coefficient and tip speed ratio: The following is a graph between Power
Coefficient (CP) vs Tip Speed Ratio (λ)
Fig 2.10 Power coefficient Vs Tip speed ratio
Wind turbines typically have two degrees of freedom to optimize power generation. They
are
(a)The ability to change their yaw or compass orientation by turning (using motors)
the entire nacelle unit so the rotor is pointed directly into the wind.
This process is controlled by wind direction information from nearby wind vanes which
are located to minimize the effect due to wake turbulence from the wind turbines.
(b) The pitch of the blades which can be changed to keep a near-constant rotation rate
under varying wind speeds, where the rotation rate is chosen to optimize the power-
generation efficiency of the turbine. Another purpose of both the blade pitch control and
yaw Mechanisms is to act as a brake under extremely strong wind condition.
Cut-in speed: The lowest wind speed at which a wind turbine begins producing usable
power called cut-in speed. It is about 3 m/s.
Cut-out speed: The highest wind speed at which a wind turbine stops producing power is
called cut-out speed. It is about 30 m/s.
3.1 Main Components
The main components of the wind turbine are
 A Generator
 Blades
 A mounting for hub and blade assembly
 A tower to get the blades up into the wind
 Permanent magnet DC motor
 Battery and electrical system
3.2 DESCRIPTION AND DESIGN OF COMPONENTS
3.2.1 GENERATOR
In wind turbine or wind mill or wind generator, the power producing device is the
generator. Connected to the blades, it’s the part that converts rotational motion into
electricity through the use of magnetic fields.

Permanent Magnet DC motors are the most important components that can be used in
place of generators. The magnetic fields produced as a result of the spiral movement of
the magnet within the component is that which produces electricity.
 WHY USE A DC MOTOR TO GENERATE ELECTRICITY?
The most important reason is that it is cheaper than electric generators and it also
contains many components we utilize in our daily lives. A motor is a device that converts
electric energy into mechanical energy.
DC MOTOR
History will recognize the vital role played by DC motors in the development of industrial
power transmission systems, the dc machine being the first practical device to convert
electrical power into mechanical power.
Inherently straight forward operating characteristics, flexible performance and high

efficiency have encouraged the widespread use of DC motors in many types of industrial
drive applications.
Standard DC motors are readily available in one of two main forms:
 Wound-field, where the magnetic flux in the motor is controlled by the current
flowing in a field or excitation winding, usually located on the stator.
 Permanent magnet, where the magnetic flux in the motor is created by permanent
magnets which have a curved face to create a constant air-gap to the conventional
armature, located on the rotor.

Figure 3.1 DC motor
These are commonly used at powers up to approximately 3 KW. Torque in a DC

motor is produced by the product of the magnetic field created by the field winding or
magnets and the current flow in the armature winding. The action of a mechanical
commutator switches the armature current from one winding to another to maintain the
relative position of the current to the field, thereby producing torque independent of rotor
position.
PERMANENT MAGNET DC MOTOR TYPES FOR GENERATING

ELECTRICITY
Permanent magnet DC motors are divided into two groups. The first is the
permanent outer magnet and moving coil, while the second is the permanent coil and
moving magnet.
I. Brushed DC Motor
These motors contain a permanent magnet and a moving coil within the magnet. The
required electricity is produced by conveying the energy produced by the revolving
brushes. Brushed DC motors are not the preferred method for producing electricity
because the coil's, being in continuous motion, can have the following effects on the
brushes:
a.) Degradation,
b.) Difficulty in producing electricity because of the brushes.
Figure 3.2 Brushed DC motor
II. Brushless DC Motor

These motors are the preferred choice of motors for producing electricity.
Thanks to the moving magnet unit in the permanent coil, it easily produces
electricity. Producing high efficiency and continuous electricity are the main
features of brushless DC motors. It is one of the most easily found motor types for
those that want to build a wind generator at home. Wind energy is converted into
rotation energy with the help of the blades installed on the edges of the motor and
then converted into electricity with the help of the motor.
 Working
Principle of
Brushless DC
Motor
Figure 3.3 Brushless DC motor

As mentioned above a magnet with two poles is rotated around a permanent coil to
produce electricity.
Figure 3.4 Brushless DC motor
 BEST MOTOR TYPES TO BUILD WIND ENERGY TURBINE
Some types of motors are more efficient than others. With the same wind speed one can
produce 10W whereas the other produces 40W.
1.) Treadmill Motors: These motors are both robust and efficient. This is our top
recommendation for motors for producing electric energy. You can find them easily
online or in stores selling second hand products. They cost between $20 and $250.
Because of its values in relation to output current and output voltage, it can easily be
used as wind turbine generator.
2.) Stepper Motors: Although highly efficient, stepper motors have a lower output
voltage and current than treadmill motors. It can be used in wind systems that have a
lower power output.
3.) Standard Permanent Magnet Motor: These are for people who want produce
electricity out of wind energy. They are cheaper than treadmill motors but some have
higher HP levels. Sold for $20 - $1500, standard permanent magnet motors are our
second choice for wind energy systems.
 ADVANTAGES OF DC TYPE POWER GENERATOR

The power that our wind turbine will produce will be direct current This is the
same type of current that’s used in any battery system. This is an advantage for a few
different reasons.
The first, and arguably most important of these reasons, is that of storage. DC power
can be easily, and relatively cheaply stored for later use with a battery system. If power
requirements are low, yet wind generator is producing a lot of power, we can save it for
later use. With an ac power system, this is much more difficult and expensive to do.
The second advantage of producing dc power is that of lower initial motor/generator

costs. DC permanent magnet motors and generators are fairly inexpensive and come in a
wide variety of configurations. There are a wide range of different motor speeds,
amperages, and operating voltages that are available. Because of this variety, it’s easier to
increase turbines efficiency. Good idea of what need to use when choosing a permanent
magnet dc motor/generator. We have to choose a motor that has a higher voltage, higher
current, and a lower rpm. This allows generating much more power at a lower speed
(rpm). The advantage of this is that running wind generator at slower speeds lets it last
longer. There is much less wear and tear at slower speed than higher ones. This helps
reliability, and over the long term, substantially lowers your operating costs. Less
maintenance and more power production is always a good thing.
In this project Permanent Magnet DC motor is the most important component that can
be used in place of generator.

Figure 3.5 Generator
Specifications:
Voltage produce : 120 V
Current : 6 Amps
Speed : 4000 rpm at 120v DC
Type : Permanent magnet DC motor
rpm's Open Volts
400 12 V
500 15 V

600 18 V
700 21V
800 24 V
900 27 V
Table. 3.1 Shows voltage with variable speed
A super high output 12 or 24 volt system @ .03 volts per rpm.
Thus based on the above table we choose this permanent magnet dc motor which acts as a
generator and produces a good amount of voltage.
3.2.2 BLADES
The ratio between the speed of the blade tips and the speed of the wind is called tip
speed ratio. High efficiency 3-blade-turbines have tip speed/wind speed ratios of 6 to 7.
Modern wind turbines are designed to spin at varying speeds. Use of aluminum
and composite materials in their blades has contributed to low rotational inertia which
means that newer wind turbines can accelerate quickly if the winds pick up, keeping the
tip speed ratio more nearly constant. Operating closer to their optimal tip speed ratio
during energetic gusts of wind allows wind turbines to improve energy capture from
sudden gusts that are typical in urban settings.
In contrast, older style wind turbines were designed with heavier steel blades, which have
higher inertia, and rotated at speeds governed by the AC frequency of the power lines.
The high inertia buffered the changes in rotation speed and thus made power output more
stable.
The speed and torque at which a wind turbine rotates must be controlled for several
reasons:
 To optimize the aerodynamic efficiency of the rotor in light winds.
 To keep the generator within its speed and torque limits.

 To keep the rotor and hub within their centrifugal force limits. The centrifugal
force from the spinning rotors increases as the square of the rotation speed, which
makes this structure sensitive to over speed.
 To keep the rotor and tower within their strength limits. Because the power of the
wind increases as the cube of the wind speed, turbines have to be built to survive
much higher wind loads (such as gusts of wind) than those from which they can
practically generate power. Since the blades generate more torsional and vertical
forces when they are producing torque, most wind turbines have ways of reducing
torque in high winds.
 To enable maintenance. Since it is dangerous to have people working on a wind

turbine while it is active, it is sometimes necessary to bring a turbine to a full stop.
 To reduce noise. As a rule of thumb, the noise from a wind turbine increases with
the fifth power of the relative wind speed. In noise-sensitive environments, the tip
speed can be limited to approximately 60 m/s (200 ft./s).
It is generally understood that noise increases with higher blade tip speeds. To
increase tip speed without increasing noise would allow reduction the torque into the
gearbox and generator and reduce overall structural loads, thereby reducing cost.] The
reduction of noise is linked to the detailed aerodynamics of the blades, especially factors
that reduce abrupt stalling. The inability to predict stall restricts the development of
aggressive aerodynamic concepts.
 Aluminum Material is used for Blades:

I. Advantages: Commercially available and highly durable; strong and will sustain
in winds up to 75 mph!
II. Disadvantages: Aluminum is heavier than other synthetic materials and therefore
limits the size/diameter.
So, aluminum has a lot of qualities that intuitively don't make much sense to a lot of
people new to wind power. Compared to lightweight plastics, aluminum is heavy and
hard for the tinkerer at home to shape. But the dynamics of the home power movement
have changed. In the years since the first homebrew manuals popped up, there are now
literally dozens of companies that are offering world-class components for small-scale
wind generators. Our blades are part of this evolutionary process. The components
available are simply better today. Aluminum blades are weather-resistant and won't warp,
bend or mix-shape in different temperatures or humidity. Aluminum, like all metals, is
virtually immune to the harsh ultraviolet rays produced by the sun. Aircraft-grade
aluminum alloys used to manufacture blades like our Windy Nation blades have excellent
corrosion resistance without applying any type of paint or topcoat to it.
Certainly there are many challenges to face when it comes to producing reliable, clean
and cost-efficient electricity from wind generator. Finally, we believe that the long-life
and durability of aluminum blades are suitable to our wind turbine.
In the same way the aluminum blades are prepared.
 BLADE DESIGN
Required voltage: 24V DC
Load : 5 Amps
Power to be generated : 120 Watt
V* I = P1 Betz coefficient (0.592)
P1 = 202.7 Watts ……………….. (1)
Let us assume, wind velocity V = 5.5 m/s
Density of air ρ = 1.23 kg/m3
Power P1 = ρ
r = 0.796 mts = 80 cms
Based on the above result, a 2-3 foot section of either 6" or 8" PVC pipe is selected.
Cutting the blades from a common PVC pipe is very simple. The PVC pipe is cut down
into 3 sections, two 1500 sections and one 600 section.
Figure 3.6 Schematic diagram for blade design
The 1500 angle will result in wide blades that start up in lower wind speeds; however this
will lower the shaft turning speeds. After the blades are carved they look like this
Figure 3.7 Blades made from a common pvc pipe

In the project three blades with vertical shaft are used, it has a height & width of 30
inches & 7 inches respectively. The angle between two blades is 60º. So if one Blade
moves other blades comes in the position of first blade, so the speed is increases.
Fig 3.8 Blades made from aluminum material
3.2.3 DESIGN OF PIVOT
While designing mounting for generator and tail it should have capacity to withstand
the load of generator and blades. The mounting should be as possible as in light in weight
for the three blades; in our case we used a square channel of stainless steel. Length of
mounting is 30 inches respectively.
Figure 3.9 Mounting for generator and blades
3.2.4 DESIGN OF BEARING

For the smooth operation of Shaft, bearing mechanism is used. To have very less
friction loss the two ends of shaft are pivoted into the same dimension bearing. Bearing
allows the head to freely turn into the wind. The Bearing has diameter of 2.54cm. Bearing
are generally provided for supporting the shaft and smooth operation of shaft. We have
used ball bearings for the purpose of ease of maintenance.
Figure 3.10 Ball bearing for spinning motion
3.2.5 DESIGN OF HUB
The next obstacle is building a hub to attach the blades to. For designing hub the
material used is aluminum. Using drill machine, 3 sets of 2 holes 1" apart which each set
120 degrees from the next are made on the aluminum disk.
Figure 3.11 Hub design
3.2.6 DESIGN OF TAIL

In order to turn the blades to the wind direction, tail is designed from an aluminum
sheet to the required dimensions.
Figure 3.12 Tail design
3.2.7 DESIGN OF BATTERY AND ELECTRICALY SYSTEM
The major parts in a electrical system are a charge controller, 12 or 24v battery bank
and to dummy load. The output from generator is given to charge controller which
monitors and regulates the voltage supply to charge the battery. In case of excess voltage
a dummy load is connected.
Fig 3.13 Circuit diagram of electrical system
4.1 FABRICATION TECHNIQUES

Various operations involved in fabrication process are
1. Arc Welding
2. Bolting
3. Cutting
 Arc Welding it is a process used to metallurgically join together two metal pieces
to produce essentially a single piece of metal. The process results in a permanent
joint.In our case joint between base and the tower pipe, bearing to tower and
clamp to tail.
 Bolting is a process used to join two together to metal pieces or parts using nut
and bolt. It is temporary fasting between the parts. In our project hub, blades and
tail are assembled using nut and bolt and nuts
 Cutting is a process in which the metal is cut into desired shape using hack saw or
jig saw. In our case cutting of blades and a groove to slide the tail into mounting is
done using jig and hack saw.
4.2 HUB AND BLADE ASSEMBLY
As discussed above, the blades are carved to the required dimensions of 2mm thick
aluminum sheet and hub is also made from 3mm thick aluminum sheet having 3sets of
holes each 1mm apart. Blades are assembled on the hub using 6mm bolts.
Fig 4.1 Hub and blade assembly
4.3 TAIL AND PIVOT ASSEMBLY

As discussed earlier, the designed tail is fitted in square tubing to obtain spinning
platform to the wind direction. The center of the square tube is cut using a saw. Then the
tail is slide into the hole and fitted to the square tube using 6mm bolts. A pipe clamp
which is welded to the square tubing holds the generator firmly.
Figure 4.2 Tail and pivot assembly
4.4 TOWER ASSEMBLY
Every wind generator needs a tower. Tower is used as a supporting structure for
blades, as well as generator. It is varied to capture maximum wind over the swept area.
Higher the tower greater the velocity of wind so, the tower is assembled at a greater
height. Thus to have a firm base GI pipe is welded on to the base in order to have strong
base as well as to carry the weight of entire of the tail and pivot assembly.
Fig .4.3 Tower assembly
4.5 TESTING OF WIND TURBINE

After assembling all the components mentioned in section 4.2-4.3, testing was
undertaken by the team. The voltage generated by the DC motor averaged about 4-6 volts
at low-medium wind speeds; and it reached up to 12v independently under high wind
speeds. The latter voltage is sufficient to charge a battery, but 4-6v is not. Under high
wind speeds charge controller boosts the voltage to 13.5v which is ideal to charge a
battery.
Voltage(v) Power(w)
1.51 6.51
3.52 14.36
4.29 19.12
5.62 23.78
7.12 29.82
9.54 42.7
Table 4.1 Practical values after test
4.6 STORAGE AND APPLICATIONS OF WIND TURBINE
STORAGE
Operation of a wind turbine is not practical at very high or very low wind speeds.
Consequently, if other sources, such as electric utility power, are not available, some form
of energy storage is required. When the power generated exceeds the demand, the excess

energy would be stored for use at other times. Storage makes it possible to deliver electric
load power demand during times when wind is below normal or non existent.
Different types of storage:
1. Chemical energy
2. Mechanical energy
3. Storing in form of compressed air
4. Electrolyzer tank
 The direct current generators can be used to charge batteries directly. The chemical
reaction taking place in the cell or battery when it is charged is reversed when cell or
battery is discharged.
 In water power storage or mechanical storage, high power aero generators are
integrated with an electric utility; a favorable situation would be operation of several
wind turbines in connection with a hydro electric plant.
 Another alternative storage is possible storing energy in a volume of compressed air.
A wind turbine for example, could be created which would directly dump air into a
suitable pressurized storage tank. Then later wind is not blowing the energy stored in air
could be utilized to drive an air turbine whose shaft would then drive the generator.
 Wind energy with DC output power can be feed directly into an electrolyser tank
which produces hydrogen and oxygen from ordinary water. The hydrogen and oxygen gas
produced can be stored in liquid form or gaseous forms, and when needed, be quickly and
easily converted again directly into electric energy via well known fuel cell.
Application of wind energy
 Applications of some powerful turbines upto about 5 kW, are for operating irrigation
pumps, navigational signals. (like light house etc)
 Aero generators in the intermediate power range can be used for supply of electricity to
isolated populations.
 The small scale turbines can be used for following applications
 They are used for domestic applications to run a light and fan during power cuts.
 They are used for traffic management i.e. the traffic lights can be run using wind
turbine.
 They are used for generating sufficient electricity for heating and cooling of homes.
 They are used for running wind assisted gas turbine generating units.

5.1 RESULTS
After fabricating the entire experimental setup the minimum, maximum and average
results are noted. These results give a general idea of the power rating of the turbine.
Practical Theoretical Wind

Voltage(v)
power(w) power(w) speed(m/sec)
1.51 6.51 7.55 1.8
3.52 14.36 17.6 2.2
4.29 19.12 21.45 2.8
5.62 23.78 28.1 3.2
7.12 29.82 35.6 3.8
9.54 42.7 47.75 4.5
Table 5.1 Results Roof top test
To get more reliable data wind turbine needs to be tested over long periods of time,
logging both wind speed, voltage generated and current produced. The aim of project is to
generate 12v from the wind turbine, thus so far the test results tell us that goal has been
accomplished

5.2 RECOMMENDATIONS
During testing there were some issues like twisting of electric wire along with tail
direction. There was difficulty in testing the performance of different blade angles due to
lack of a constant wind force. Thus enough care has to be taken to minimize these issues.
Ideally, an anemometer as well as a tachometer should be integrated to the system. The
former measuring the wind speed while the latter measures the turbine rotational speed.
Finally a solar panel should be integrated to the circuit and the performance of the solar-
wind hybrid system should be tracked overtime using a data acquisition system to see the
overall performance of the design. Installing such systems at educational institutions with
wide landscape to harness the energy and meet few minimum needs. There is a wide gap
between the potential available and potential being generated in our country. Hence much
work has to be undertaken by educational institutions in bridging this gap.
The project was envisioned to harness the bountifully available natural energy, wind
energy. The team achieved this by implementing simple engineering techniques and physical
principles. The team drew inspiration from the current energy crisis looming across the globe
and immense potential of wind energy as a green alternative and successfully developed a
scale model of a Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine (HAWT).
The study of wind turbine and its characteristics showed that how it can be properly
designed and used to get the maximum output. After due testing of the wind turbine, under
various test conditions the team achieved the primary objectives of the project. The team
drew a few conclusions from the project, they are listed below:
1. The material used for blade construction is an essential consideration for developing
an efficient wind turbine. Aluminum proved to efficient though several low weight
alloys could also be used after a suitable trade-off between cost and power
requirement.
2. The generator used for generation is also an essential consideration as there are other
PM DC motors which are even more efficient and can generate better voltage at lower
wind speeds.
3. Further when this system integrated with solar panels give us fairly a large amount of
power.

REFERENCES
1. A Text book on Non-Conventional Energy Sources by G D RAI
2. Thesis on wind as renewable energy by Ishan Patnaik
3. How to build a Wind turbine by M D Pub www.mdpub.com
4. WWW. Windpower.org
5. www.windfarm.in
6. www.scribd.com

Design and Fabrication of Wind Turbine: Dept. of Mech. Engg., VIIT, Visakhapatnam

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Design and Fabrication of Wind Turbine: Dept. of Mech. Engg., VIIT, Visakhapatnam

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Design and Fabrication of wind Turbine

Figure 1.1 Heron’s Wind machine

Dept. of Mech. Engg., VIIT, Visakhapatnam Page 1

1.2 LITERATURE REVIEW

Dept. of Mech. Engg., VIIT, Visakhapatnam Page 2

Dept. of Mech. Engg., VIIT, Visakhapatnam Page 3

1.3 OBJECTIVE AND SCOPE OF PROJECT

1.4 ORGANISATION OF THE THESIS

Chapter 3 comprises of the description and design of components like blades,

Chapter 5 comprises of test results and recommendation for future scope.

Chapter 6 comprises of conclusions

A list of references is included at the en

Dept. of Mech. Engg., VIIT, Visakhapatnam Page 4

2.1 WIND TURBINE

2.2 WHY WE USE WIND TURBINE

Dept. of Mech. Engg., VIIT, Visakhapatnam Page 5

 REGIONAL TEMPERATURE DIFFERENCES: The wind caused by temperature

Dept. of Mech. Engg., VIIT, Visakhapatnam Page 6

Figure 2.1 Sea and land breezes

Figure 2.2 Mountain Wave Schematic

Dept. of Mech. Engg., VIIT, Visakhapatnam Page 7

2.3.1 INTRODUCTION TO WIND POWER

 Wind energy is a renewable energy source

I. The wind speed

Dept. of Mech. Engg., VIIT, Visakhapatnam Page 8

Kinetic Energy (P) = .5 v2………………….. (1)

Amount of Air passing is m =ρav…………………..(2)

A=area swept by the rotating blades of wind mill type generator

m = mass of air traversing ρ= Density of air V= velocity of air

Total wind power is: P = ρ

Wind power is thus proportional to the third power of the wind velocity.

Table 2.1 Countries With Installed Capacity

Dept. of Mech. Engg., VIIT, Visakhapatnam Page 9

2.3.2 INDIA’S OVERVIEW OF WIND ENERGY

States with Potential MW Installed MW

Gujarat 9675 173

Karnataka 6620 124

Madhya Pradesh 5500 23

Maharashtra 3650 401

Tamil Nadu 3050 990

Table 2.2 States with strong potential

2.3.3 ADVANTAGES OF WIND ENERGY

Dept. of Mech. Engg., VIIT, Visakhapatnam Page 10

 Wind energy can relieve fossil fuels shortage.

 Nuclear energy produces no particulate emissions, but it creates dangerous

2.3.4 DISADVANTAGES OF WIND ENERGY

Dept. of Mech. Engg., VIIT, Visakhapatnam Page 11

 Hundreds of installations have demonstrated that utility systems are capable of

2.4 TYPES OF WIND TURBINES

Figure 2.3 Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine

Dept. of Mech. Engg., VIIT, Visakhapatnam Page 12

2.4.2 HORIZONTAL AXIS WIND TURBINE ADVANTAGES

2.4.3 HORIZONTAL AXIS WIND TURBINE DISADVANTAGES

Dept. of Mech. Engg., VIIT, Visakhapatnam Page 14

Figure 2.4 Wind turbine configurations

2.4.4 VERTICAL AXIS WIND TURBINES (VAWTS)

Dept. of Mech. Engg., VIIT, Visakhapatnam Page 15

Figure 2.5 Vertical Axis Wind turbine

Subtypes of the vertical axis design include

Dept. of Mech. Engg., VIIT, Visakhapatnam Page 16

The advantages of variable pitch are

 high starting torque,

Variants of the Darrieus wind turbine are the giromill and cycloturbine.