A numerical aerodynamic analysis of a vertical axis wind turbine in a wind tunnel Dikey eksenli bir rüzgar türbininin rüzgar tünelinde sayısal aerodinamik analizi

Within the framework of the global attempt towards reducing greenhouse gases and providing sustainable renewable energy to meet the growing energy demand, the research on the development of new renewable energy systems as well as on improving the efficiency of existing systems has gained great momentum over the recent decades. The applications and use of wind energy, a clean energy known and used since ancient times, have evolved in recent years. On the focus of several studies, either experimental or numerical, was developing novel wind turbines that offer greater efficiency. This research, in this respect, presents a numerical aerodynamic analysis of a helical blade vertical-axis wind turbine (VAWT) modeled in a wind tunnel in SOLIDWORKS and analyzed for its aerodynamic performance in ANSYS Fluent using the SST k-ω method. The stationary and rotary parts were meshed separately, and velocity and pressure contours were obtained and examined. The results of the numerical model suggested better performance of the hybrid helical blade turbine compared to Savonius or Darrieus turbines. The aerodynamic performance of a hybrid Savonius-Darrieus VAWT using numerical simulations in a three-dimensional wind tunnel revealed that the proposed design achieved a maximum torque of 2.05 Nm at a tip speed ratio (TSR) of 2.0, with a power coefficient (Cp) of 0.42, representing a 10% improvement over traditional Darrieus turbines. The hybrid design combines the high starting torque of the Savonius turbine with the efficiency of the Darrieus turbine, demonstrating superior performance in low-wind conditions. Numerical results were validated against experimental data from Castelli et al. (2011), showing good agreement with a maximum deviation of 10%. The findings highlight the potential of hybrid VAWTs for urban and low-wind environments, offering a sustainable and efficient energy solution.