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SA researcher develops vertical axis wind turbine configuration

Vaal University of Technology head of the Innovation Centre Jan Jooste has developed a new configuration of the vertical axis wind turbine, which he stated could realise a shift in wind energy generation from horizontal axis wind turbines, as well as significantly lower wind energy generation costs.

Still in the testing phase, Jooste’s configuration of the vertical axis wind turbine consists of three blades over three levels, as opposed to the single layer used in a conventional vertical turbine.

Following wind tunnel testing results, Jooste added that the new configuration increases energy yield by 400%. This, he said, was because the two additional layers increase the area of energy capture by 200%, and, as the energy yield correlates with the area – the energy yield will similarly increase by a further 200%.

“Initial results, as well as theory, support a 400% improvement in energy harvesting, relative to the conventional configuration of vertical axis wind turbines,” said Jooste.

He said that a further benefit of the new configuration was that blades were now continuously spinning through fresh wind with higher energy levels. “In conventional vertical axis wind turbines, the blades spin through fresh wind in the upwind half of their rotation – but pass through reduced energy wind in the downwind half of the rotation. The impact of this improved downwind half, seems to be an overall increase of about 200% in energy yield.”

He explained that this could realize a shift from the more popular horizontal axis wind turbines, towards vertical axis wind turbines. “This shift would also be supported by the fact that vertical turbine blades are much easier to manufacture than horizontal axis blades, and blade manufacture could also be automated,” Jooste noted.

He highlighted that a further change could occur in the entire energy generation industry.

“It would upset the approximate parity in generation costs per unit of energy, between wind and coal. About 70% of the generation cost for wind energy serves to recover capital cost. If capital cost could now be reduced by 60%, the generation cost per unit of energy would drop by 42%, which would make alternative generation the rational choice, even in the absence of subsidies,” Jooste reiterated. http://www.engineeringnews.co.za/art...ion-2009-07-31