Vertical Wind Turbine
A vertical wind turbine has changed the notion of imagining windmills with blades rotating at horizontal axis. One can easily compare the rotation of a vertical axis wind turbine with a coin spinning along vertical axis. So, a modified configuration of blades and some good results can be obtained through vertical wind turbines. Still not as popular as horizontal wind turbines, the vertical axis wind turbines are under the improvement process to serve more benefits.
Main Parts of Vertical Wind Turbine
The main parts of a vertical wind turbine are as follows:
- Rotor shaft arranged vertically
- Vertical wind generator, placed near the ground
- Gearbox, which is again placed near the ground
- Blades, generally two or three in number.
Unlike a horizontal wind turbine, the vertical wind turbine has no need of installing a tower.
Types of Vertical Wind Turbine
Some of the most popular types of vertical axis turbines are:
- Darrius Turbine – Named after its French inventor, Georges Darrieus, a Darrius turbine is known for providing good efficiency, but is criticized for low torque. Because of low starting torque, there is need for an additional rotor to start it.
- Gorlov Helical Turbine – Designed in a helical configuration, this type of turbine came up in the beginning of the 21st century to solve the issues faced by a Darrius turbine. These are self-starting and offer better reliability.
- Giromill – A variation of the Darrius turbine, this cyclo-turbine offers variable pitch and high starting torque. The blades used for the turbine are straight, v-shaped or curved.
- Savonius Turbine – The turbine consists of helical scoops for smooth torque. Most of the times, these types of turbines are designed to be self-starting.
In addition, there are other types of a vertical wind turbine, including quiet revolution turbine, Neo-aerodynamic turbine, Zephyr turbine, Novel turbine and so on.
Advantages of Vertical Wind Turbine
- As the generator and the gearbox are placed near the ground, it is easier to maintain the moving parts of the vertical wind turbine.
- The wind turbine vertical axis design offers lower noise.
- These turbines are good for installation at areas including hilltops, passes, mesas and so on. Moreover, they can be installed in the areas that restrict the installation of tall structures.
- Lower wind startup speed is another advantage of a vertical wind turbine.
- No yaw mechanism is required, as a vertical wind turbine can have fixed pitch rotor design.
The vertical wind turbine has become a popular design in the markets of various continents. You can expect many new designs in the category to appear soon.
