F E A T U R E H AW T V E R S U S VAW T

HAWT versus VAWT

Small VAWTs find a clear niche
If the current course of technical development and the number of installations is considered, then the discussion about the respective advantages and disadvantages of wind turbines with horizontal (HAWT) and vertical (VAWT) axes is clearly decided by the market, at least for the time being. Up until now, neither the Savonius nor the Darrieus principal nor combined forms of these two types of construction could be developed to such a point that their theoretical advantages would outweigh their practical disadvantages. Hannes Riegler, Ropatec AG, Italy reports.
With installations at the megawatt level, in particular, wind turbines with vertical spindles do not play any role. Even though investments have been made and continue to be made in the research and technical development of vertical systems, there is currently no marketable product that could compete with traditional installations. With the current situation, it is in any case questionable as to whether potential wind park operators would decide upon a vertical system that is new or hardly proven. After all, there are quite a number of manufacturers of traditional wind power systems on the market who can document several years of experience and numerous successful installations. And when it comes to largescale investments, it would be hard to find a single investor who would take the risk on these new techniques that are unproven at this scale without heavy support on the part of public authorities.

VAWT drawbacks
Although several large test facilities have been built, these are for the most part no longer in operation. In addition to the principal advantages of wind turbines with a vertical axis for instance, the low levels of noise and the independence from the wind direction there are unfortunately several disadvantages. One of these is that they must be installed close to the ground. Since the wind naturally blows more strongly and evenly at greater heights, an installation that is not on a mast loses a great deal of efficiency. If with this type of installation, the generator is housed in a machine room on the ground, then maintenance is of course simpler and cheaper. In spite of this, it is doubtful that the lower yield because of the weaker winds close to the ground would be balanced out by the money saved in maintenance costs. It still remains to be seen whether plans to use existing tall structures to mount planned megawatt-level installations with vertical spindles can be realized. It will probably not be easy to find buildings or structures that would be able to handle the static and dynamic loads from a large wind power installation with a vertical axis. And it goes without saying that these structures should be in regions where the wind velocities are of interest. Another point against the current conceptions of larger VAWTs is the greater material expenditure per square meter of surface covered in comparison to installations with a horizontal spindle. This is a significant additional cost factor that can hardly be compensated for by the theoretically better possible exploitation of strong winds or gusts.

Ropatecs vertical axis wind turbine, the Wind Rotor, in the Valley of Aosta, Italian Alps

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1471 0846/03 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

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VAWT advantages
On the other hand, the situation with smaller installations with a nominal output up to approximately 10 kW can be considered to be substantially different. At this level of output, there are very many applications which up until now could only be insufficiently covered with horizontal systems. In particular, horizontal installations come up against their limits when located in high mountain areas, in regions with extremely strong or gusty winds, or in urban areas. But also in regions with relatively constant winds, that is, where the conditions are ideal for systems with a horizontal axis, a VAWT can have its advantages, at minimum if the neighbours complain about the annoyance of the noise. There have already been reports of enraged neighbours who have settled the acoustical problems with firearms. For manufacturers of small-scale installations with a vertical axis, the issue is to concentrate upon the advantages of the vertical concept and, at the same time, to find ways of avoiding the weaknesses of the original constructions of Savonius and Darrieus to the greatest extent possible. The disadvantages of large wind turbines with vertical spindles indicated above, in particular that of the installation needing to be close to the ground, do not play any role with smaller systems. There is no reason why a wind turbine of that sort could not be installed on a mast of any height or on a building. And the somewhat higher material expenditures, measured with respect to the system costs of a small installation, are of hardly any consequence. One great weakness of the systems originally patented by Savonius and Darrieus is, for example, the difficulty of automatic operation. However, there are already several models that combine the basic design of both concepts and thus reduce or avoid this problem. In addition, a limitation on the revolutions per minute can prove to be necessary in order to not subject the system to unnecessary loads. During extreme winds, traditional systems are either braked or turned out of the wind. According to the same principle, it is of course conceivable to regulate the blades of a so-called "H-rotor" (Giromill) according to the wind velocity. That involves, however, relatively costly and maintenance-intensive mechanics.

offering systems that are not only noiseless and independent of the wind direction but also have the lowest possible maintenance expenditures. A design has been patented by the Italian company Ropatec AG. Since 1985, the company has been developing a system that could definitely be described as a hybrid form of already known concepts. As early as 1997, the first of these new types of systems was installed and tested in the Italian Alps. The most highly situated of these systems was installed near the Austrian-Italian border at an elevation of 3,150 meters. Because of the particular channeling effect of this location, wind velocities of over 250 km/h have been measured. In spite of these extreme conditions, the Mllerhtte Alpine refuge (www.muellerhuette.it) is reliably supplied with electrical energy. This construction, which is called the "WindRotor", is fundamentally based upon the concept of the H-rotor, although with a special aerodynamic feature. In addition to the two exterior blades, there is an elliptical core assembly that has been relocated. This core assembly has been precisely coordinated with both blades in size, arrangement,

The WindRotor can withstand extreme wind conditions

and form. The two blades and the core assembly are connected to each other both above and below through two consoles.

VAWT niche
Since, as mentioned above, installations with a vertical axis are particularly suitable for areas with extreme weather conditions, a manufacturer must target its efforts at
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The system provides nominal output at extremely high wind velocities

The turbine therefore forms a fixed unit without moving parts. Two typical problems of systems with vertical spindles have thus been solved. The core assembly makes possible a diversion of the air with the motion of the rotor, and this therefore contributes to problem-free self-starting with wind velocities of 2-3 m/s. At high wind velocities of over 14 m/s, the redirection of the air through this elliptical form prevents any extra motion of the rotor. No additional lift is produced; the turbine slows down until the air can once again flow through and, in turn, produce lift. In practice, this means that the rotational velocity of the installation increases up to a certain wind velocity but then remains constant as a result of this aerodynamic regulation. The precise rotational velocity depends upon the air density, and thus upon the elevation at which the installation is located. Several very welcome effects result from this. For example, the installation does not require any braking system, and it provides the nominal output even at extremely high wind velocities. Since the maximum rotational velocity is self-regulated, the dynamic loads are also limited. The core assembly is housed in an internal shaft in which the directly driven generator is located. The model that has been specially developed for the WindRotor is designed for a low number of revolutions per minute. A system of gears or a transmission is therefore not necessary. With generators constructed as an external rotor type, the electrical energy is induced within the interior rotor and contact brushes are also not needed. Consequently, there is no need for changing these brushes at regular intervals, as is the case with normal generators.

Hybrid systems
The entire system is therefore fundamentally designed in a simple manner. The actual turbine, with its two blades, two consoles, and the core assembly with the internal shaft that are connected with one another, forms a fixed unit. There is no additional mechanical or electronic regulation, no braking system, and no pitch regulation. Typical applications for wind power installations with nominal outputs of this magnitude are, of course, energy supply in remote areas of houses or technical installations, such as GSM stations or monitoring installations. In addition to battery charging, the MultiSourcePowerController, a multifunctional device that was especially developed for systems from Ropatec, also offers an on-grid and off-grid output and the control of a photovoltaic system and a Genset. With the assistance of one of these devices, a hybrid system can be quickly and simply designed that can guarantee the energy supply with a great degree of certainty. The three-phase alternating current coming from the generator can also be used directly. A good example of this is the two 6 kW WindRotors in the mountains of the Italian province of Aosta (see the photograph p.44). With the energy of these installations, a 3,000 litre boiler is heated in a mountain restaurant in the village of La Thuile at 2,300 meters above sea level. By using a heat exchanger with the boiler, the space heating of the restaurant is operated, while at the same time warm water is made available for the rooms of the personnel. Main interest in the WindRotor currently comes both from the private sector and from operators of technical installations, such as
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telecommunication stations or light towers. In particular, companies from the telecommunications branch have for years been searching for possibilities for the reliable energy supply of their stations. Supplying an isolated GSM station exclusively with a Genset is very expensive. In particular, the transport of the fuel to remote areas is expensive and cost intensive. Photovoltaic installations, on the other hand, are very reliable, but they provide very little output in the winter in northern countries and in the mountainous regions of Europe and North America. And this can be reduced to zero if they are covered with snow. Thus the idea of combining the energy from the sun with wind power naturally suggests itself, along with the possibility of additionally providing a Genset for emergencies. With tests of horizontal systems, though, a rather conflicting picture has emerged up to now. Not all traditional wind power installations could fulfill the expectations with regard to low maintenance and resilience in extreme conditions. It is therefore understandable that companies are searching for especially robust systems that can deal with the difficult conditions of these locations. A good example is the invitation to tender by a Bosnian Telecom company for the supply of varying technical equipment. The tender comprised the energy supply for 7 remote GSM-stations. This lot was won by the local partner of Ropatec AG with a project for a hybrid system consisting of one VAWT of 3kW nominal power and 1 kW of PV-panels. The stations are scheduled for construction this autumn. For the private user who wants to equip his or her principal residence or vacation home with a sustainable source of energy, the question arises as to the reliability of a wind turbine, but the question of price is also important. In order to assert oneself in this market, technical advantages are not necessarily sufficient. After all, the customer is already expecting a reliable device for energy production, no matter whether the axis is horizontal or vertical. The technical advantages of a system with a vertical spindle will only be a convincing argument if the price of a complete installation including the turbine, mast, and controls is no higher than a traditional wind turbine. Contact Hannes Riegler, ROPATEC AG, Business Innovation Center, Via Siemens Str. 19, I39100 Bozen, Italy. Fax +39-0471-568183; e-mail: info@ropatec.com; www.ropatec.com

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