Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

A study on increasing the performance of Savonius wind rotors

  • Published:
Journal of Mechanical Science and Technology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Savonius wind rotors with a vertical axis are not much preferred and used due to their lower aerodynamic performance than that of the other high-speed wind rotors. The present study is intended to increase the rotor performance of the Savonius wind rotor with theoretical method by focusing on a curtain arrangement as a wind deflector with a simple construction, which has been designed to increase the performance of the Savonius wind rotor. This curtain arrangement has been placed in front of the rotor so as to prevent the negative torque that occurs on the convex surface of the Savonius wind rotor and causes the performance of the rotor to be low. Thus, it has become possible to make a more efficient use of the wind energy increasing the low performance level of the Savonius wind rotors.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. İ. Ushiyama and H. Nagai, Optimum design configurations and performance of Savonius rotors, Wind Engineering, 12(1) (1988) 59–75.

    Google Scholar 

  2. B. F. Blackwell, R. E. Sheldahl and L. V. Feltz, Wind tunnel performance data for two-and three-bucket Savonius rotors, Prepared By Sandia Laboratories Printed In The USA SAND76-0131, New Mexico (1977).

  3. A. J. Alexander and B. P. Holownia, Wind tunnel test on a Savonius rotor, Journal of Industrial Aerodynamics, 3 (1978) 343–351.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  4. J. Gavalda, J. Massons and F. Diaz, Drag and lift coefficients of the Savonius wind machine, Wind Engineering, 15(5) (1991) 240–246.

    Google Scholar 

  5. Z. M. Mganilva, Development of a Savonius wind turbine water pumping system, International Conference On Water 4th-6th December, Arusha, Tanzania, (2002) 1–10.

  6. O. O. Mojola and O. E. Onazanya, Performance testing of a Savonius windmill rotor in shear flows, Wind Engineering, 8(2) (1984)109–121.

    Google Scholar 

  7. O. O. Mojola, On the aerodynamic design of the Savonius windmill rotor, Journal of Wind Engineering and Industrial Aerodynamics, 21 (1985) 223–231.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. V. J. Modi and M. S. U. K. Fernando, On the performance of the Savonius wind turbine, Journal of Solar Energy Engineering, 111 (1989) 71–81.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. N. Fujisawa, Velocity measurements and numerical calculations of flow fields in and around Savonius rotors, Journal of Wind Engineering and Industrial Aerodynamics, 59 (1996) 39–50.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. N. Fujisawa, On the torque mechanism of Savonius rotors, Journal of Wind Engineering and Industrial Aerodynamics, 40 (1992) 277–292.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. N. Fujisawa and Y. Taguchi, Visualization and image processing of the flow in and around a Savonius rotor, Journal of Flow Visualization and Image Processing, 1 (1993) 337–346.

    Google Scholar 

  12. N. Fujisawa and H. Shirai, Experimental investigation on the unsteady flow field around a Savonius rotor at the maximum power performance, Wind Engineering, 11(4) (1987) 195–206.

    Google Scholar 

  13. N. Fujisawa and F. Gotoh, Pressure measurements and flow visualization study of a Savonius rotor, Journal of Wind Engineering and Industrial Aerodynamics, 39 (1992) 51–60.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  14. N. Fujisawa and F. Gotoh, Visualization study of the flow in and around a Savonius rotor, Experiments in Fluids, 12 (1992) 407–412.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. T. K. Aldoss and M. A. Kotb, Aerodynamic loads on a stationary Savonius rotor, JSME International Journal, Series II, 34(1) (1991) 52–55.

    Google Scholar 

  16. T. K. Aldoss and M. A. Kotb, Theoretical calculations of the flow field around a Savonius rotor, Wind Engineering, 12(3) (1988) 194–203.

    Google Scholar 

  17. K. Ishimatsu, K. Kage and T. Okubayashi, Numerical study for the flow fields and performances of Savonius-type and Bach-type rotors, The 10th International Symposium On Flow Visualization, Kyoto Japan, (2002) 1–7.

  18. M. A. Kotb, Flow field around a partially-blocked Savonius rotor, Applied Energy, 38 (1991) 117–132.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. T. Ogawa, Theoretical study on the flow about Savonius rotor, Journal of Fluids Engineering, 106 (1984) 85–91.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. M. S. U. K. Fernando and V. J. Modi, A numerical analysis of the unsteady flow past a Savonius wind turbine, Journal of Wind Engineering and Industrial Aerodynamics, 32 (1989) 303–327.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. T. Ogawa, H. Yoshida and Y. Yokota, Development of rotational speed control systems for a Savonius type wind turbine, Journal of Fluids Engineering, 111 (1989) 53–58.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. K. Ishimatsu, K. Kage and T. Okubayashi, Numerical study for the flow fields and performances of Savonius-type and Bach-type rotors, The 10th International Symposium On Flow Visualization, Kyoto, Japan, (2002) 1–7.

  23. A. S. Grinspan, P. S. Kumar, U. K. Saha, P. Mahanta, D. V. Ratna Rao and G. Veda Bhanu, Design, development and testing of Savonius wind turbine rotor with twisted blades, Proceedings of 28th National Conference on Fluid Mechanics and Fluid Power, Chandigarh, India, (2001) 428–431.

  24. U. K. Saha and M. J. Rajkumar, On the performance analysis of Savonius rotor with twisted blades, Renewable Energy, 31 (2006) 1776–1788.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. U. K. Saha, P. Mahanta, A. S. Grinspan, P. S. Kumar and P. Goswami, Twisted bamboo bladed rotor for Savonius wind turbines, Journal of the Solar Energy Society of India (SESI), 4 (2005) 1–10.

    Google Scholar 

  26. T. K. Aldoss, Savonius rotor using swinging blades as an augmentation system, Wind Engineering, 8(4) (1984) 214–220.

    Google Scholar 

  27. T. K. Aldoss and Y. S. H. Najjar, Further development of the swinging-blade Savonius rotor, Wind Engineering, 9(3) (1985) 165–170.

    Google Scholar 

  28. S. A. Tabassum and S. D. Probert, Vertical-axis wind turbine: a modified design, Applied Energy, 28 (1987) 59–67.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  29. P. Reupke and S. D. Probert, Slatted-blade Savonius windrotors, Applied Energy, 40 (1991) 65–75.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. J. L. Menet, A double-step Savonius rotor for local production of electricity: a design study, Renewable Energy, 29 (2004) 1843–1862.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  31. M. C. Percival, P. S. Leung and P. K. Datta, The development of a vertical turbine for domestic electricity generation, European Wind Energy Conference&Exhibition (2004).

  32. D. Le Gourieres, Wind power plants theory and design, Pergamon Press Ltd., Oxford, England (1982).

    Google Scholar 

  33. B. Deda, Wind energy and increasing the performance of Savonius wind rotors, MSc. Thesis in Mechanical Engineering, Graduate School of Natural and Applied Sciences, Pamukkale University, Denizli, Turkey (2000).

    Google Scholar 

  34. B. Deda Altan, Performance investigation of Savonius wind rotor with curtaining method, PhD. Thesis in Mechanical Engineering, Graduate School of Natural and Applied Sciences, Pamukkale University, Denizli, Turkey, (2006).

    Google Scholar 

  35. F. M. White, Fluid mechanics, Literature Publication, Istanbul (2004).

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Pamukkale University, Kınıklı, 20070, Denizli, Turkey

    Burçin Deda Altan & Mehmet Atılgan

Authors
  1. Burçin Deda Altan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Mehmet Atılgan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Burçin Deda Altan.

Additional information

Recommended by Associate Editor Won-Gu Joo.

Burçin Deda Altan is an Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Pamukkale, Denizli, Turkey. Burçin Deda Altan holds a bachelor’s degree in engineering (1997) in Mechanical Engineering from Pamukkale University, Denizli and the M.S. degree (2000) in Mechanical Engineering. She received her Ph.D in 2006 in Mechanical Engineering from Pamukkale University, Denizli. She is interested in wind energy and the other renewable energy species. She is also interested in computational fluid dynamics.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Altan, B.D., Atılgan, M. A study on increasing the performance of Savonius wind rotors. J Mech Sci Technol 26, 1493–1499 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-012-0313-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-012-0313-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation