Economical Darrieus straight bladed vertical axis wind turbine for renewable energy applications

In remote and stand alone applications, the simple straight bladed Darrieus type vertical axis wind turbine is very practical due to its simple design and low cost of construction. It has the potential to compete effectively with the more widely used horizontal axis wind turbines. This project explores a Darrieus type vertical axis wind turbine, adapted for domestic electricity generation. Design, construction and modelling of a three-blade vertical axis wind turbine with 305 cm long blades, 55 cm chord length, which formed a symmetrical airfoil of National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA 0018) profile, was performed in this study to demonstrate how used materials can be recycled to produce an economically feasible Darrieus type vertical axis wind turbine that can be utilised to produce usable electrical power. The double multiple streamtube model was used to reproduce this turbine. Materials used were chosen for practicality, availability within the southern Caribbean islands of Trinidad and Tobago, in addition to their low cost. From the performance modelling and performance characteristics of the automotive alternator, it was observed from initial testing data that wind speeds of 3-5 m s21 produced wind power up to 5400 W. The cost per watt of power generated was the lowest for this wind turbine ($0.54 W21) when compared to other VAWT and can even compete on cost effectiveness with traditional horizontal axis wind turbines.