Design and Testing af A Hybrid Vertical Axis Wind Turbine for Power Generation

Abstract

There is a pronounced environmental urgency regarding the need to mitigate the hazards associated with carbon emissions and various pollutants resulting from the incineration of fossil fuels. The foremost approach to achieving this objective involves the utilization of alternative energy sources, among which wind energy is categorized; this energy is harnessed through the implementation of wind turbines. Wind turbines, also referred to as aerogenerators, are sophisticated devices that convert the kinetic energy derived from wind into electrical energy. This research delineates the wind assessment, design, optimization, fabrication, and performance evaluation of a hybrid vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT) aimed at power generation in the Kebbi, Sokoto, and Zamfara states over a two-decade period spanning from 1999 to 2024. Wind data was collected from the Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NIMET) for wind assessment. The design of the hybrid VAWT will be executed utilizing solid modeling tools and SolidWorks software in conjunction with Google SketchUp software, and the fabrication will occur locally. The constructed hybrid VAWT prototype will undergo laboratory testing employing ventilation fans across a spectrum of wind speeds. The VAWTs were tested at four different wind speeds (V = 4.80 m/s, 4.50 m/s, 4.30 m/s, and 3.90 m/s). The superior performance of the hybrid VAWT was demonstrated through a direct comparison with the conventional H-Darrieus VAWT under identical experimental conditions. The result revealed that rotational speed and mechanical power have an improvement on the same experimental conditions for hybrid VAWT as (11.0 %, 28.6%, 75.0 %, 14.0 %) and (100 %, 45.5 %, 9. 4%, and 40.3 %), respectively, compared to that of H-Darrieus VAWT. The percentage increase demonstrated that the hybrid vertical-axis wind turbine exhibited a substantial enhancement in performance when juxtaposed with the traditional vertical-axis wind turbine. The integration of the Icewind rotor (Savonius Rotor) with the H-Darrieus vertical-axis wind turbine (hybrid VAWT) results in superior self-starting capabilities and enhanced performance across the evaluated parameters in comparison to the standard H-Darrieus vertical-axis wind turbine.