Numerical Simulation on Small Scale Straight-Blade and Twisted-Blade Vertical Axis Wind Turbine

This paper presents an analysis on the performance of vertical axis wind turbine of two types, namely straight-blade vertical axis wind turbine (SB-VAWT) and twisted-blade vertical axis wind turbine (TB-VAWT). An attempt of this simulation is to identify which type performs better in the same wind conditions and swept area. Three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) was adopted in this analysis, after solid models of them were generated. Preliminary results of torque, power and aerodynamics in the fluid field were obtained for discussion. Finally, there provided some guidance for future wind tunnel tests.