Project member Sujata C. Borse Priyanka P. Shinde Deepali C. Bharambe .

Guided By : Prof.M.V.Kulkarni

Introduction

Harnessing renewable energy from the wind using windmills is an old but efficient method. Various changes in the design of a windmill have been made in order to improve the efficiency and power output. Though an old concept, a conventional windmill has often faced criticism for its unreliability. Its trait of utmost dependence on wind speed has been the sole reason for its fluctuating performance.

It is for this reason that a need to restyle the design of a conventional windmill keeping the basic principle same, has become a vital necessity. Once such effort has been made by a Toronto Designer Tom J. Gilmour who has conceptualised a windmill which rotates around a vertical axis instead of a conventional horizontal axis.

Vertical Axis Windmill

Vertical-axis wind turbines (or VAWTs) have the main rotor shaft

arranged vertically. Key advantages of this arrangement are that the turbine does not need to be pointed into the wind to be effective. This is an advantage on sites where the wind direction is highly variable, for example when integrated into buildings. The key disadvantages include the low rotational speed with the consequential higher torque and hence higher cost of the drive train, the inherently lower power coefficient, With a vertical axis, the generator and gearbox can be placed near the ground, using a direct drive from the rotor assembly to the ground-based gearbox, hence improving accessibility for maintenance.

Working Principle

The working mechanism of wind turbines is very simple. In a wind turbine, when blades rotated it capture maximum kinetic energy from wind. As the broad surface of the blade faces the wind, it creates a positive pressure on the front when the wind hits the blade. This pressure creates a suction behind the blade, which turns the rotor. When wind accelerates and reaches a certain speed , the blade gradually rotates and produces mechanical energy. The energy produced is then converted into electricity via the generators and stored in batteries for further use. The amount of energy production depends on the rotational speed of turbine, which in turn is directly proportional to the speed of wind.

Diagram of VAWT
Blade Bearing Support Structure Gear Box Generator Bearing Foundation

Blades of VAWT

Elements of Vertical Axis Wind Mill

Wind turbine Generator

Blades
Rotor Shaft

Gear Box

Design elements
Power in the wind is given by,
P=1/2 x x A x v x b x Cp

Where, P = power output in watt = air density = 1.18kg/m at level higher than sea level. A = rotor swept area exposed to wind in m V = wind speed in m/s Cp = coefficient of performance = 0.45 for good design b = bearing efficiency= as high as 95%

Design elements
Lets design the VAWT for the generator output of 6

watts & 85% efficiency.

g = generator power / shaft power Shaft power = G.P. x g

= 6 x 0.85 =7W So we have to design the elements of the VAWT such as blade, shaft considering the shaft power of 7 watt.

Design elements

BLADE P = 1/2 x x A x v x b x Cp 7 =1/2 x 1.18 x A x 8 x 0.95 x 045 A = 0.0545m R x H = 0.0545(since R = H) H=0.0545 H =Height of blade= 0.233 m D =Diameter of blade= 0.466 m

Design elements
SHAFT Drag force is parallel to the direction of motion Drag force = Fd = x x a x v x Cd Cd = coefficient of drag = 1.15 = x 1.18 x 0.0545 x 8 x 1.15 Drag force = Fd = 2.366 N

Torque = Fd x H Torque = 2.366 x 0.233 Torque = 0.552 N-m

Design elements

T = /16 x x D =shear stress = 42 N/mm for M.S. shaft d = diameter of shaft in mm T = 0.552N-m = 552N-mm 552 = /16 x 42 x d d = 7.59mm Considering factor of safety = 1.5, We select the diameter of the shaft as 12 mm

Advantages

Completely silent Completely stable Bird friendly Environmentally friendly Maintenance Free Simple to install Place the generator, gearbox etc. on the ground, and not need a tower for the machine. Not need a yaw mechanism to turn the rotor against the wind.

Disadvantages
Wind speeds are very low close to ground level, so although you may

save a tower, your wind speeds will be very low on the lower part of your rotor. The overall efficiency of the vertical axis machines is not impressive. The machine is not self-starting (e.g. a Darrieus machine will need a "push" before it starts. This is only a minor inconvenience for a grid connected turbine, however, since you may use the generator as a motor drawing current from the grid to to start the machine). The machine may need guy wires to hold it up, but guy wires are impractical in heavily farmed areas. Replacing the main bearing for the rotor necessitates removing the rotor on both a horizontal and a vertical axis machine. In the case of the latter, it means tearing the whole machine down.

Thank You