EXPERIMENTAL INVESTIGATION OF EFFECT OF HELIX ANGLE, SOLIDITY, AND PITCH ANGLE ON SMALL-SCALE DARRIEUS VERTICAL AXIS WIND TURBINE (VAWT) PERFORMANCE

• Main Author: Siti Aleeza, Kayla
• Format: Final Project
• Language: Indonesia
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/84823
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

The increase in the severity of the energy crisis and environmental concerns has resulted in considerable attention towards renewable energy sources. Wind energy has a great potential to overcome excessive dependency on fossil fuels to meet energy demand. According to the Directorate General of New Renewable Energy and Energy Conservation, the target of renewable energy implementation in Indonesia in 2025 is at least 23% and will reach 31% in 2050. The installation and development of renewable energy in Indonesia has its own set of challenges, one of them being the low average wind speed in Indonesia which is around 3–6 m/s. Among the various typologies, a vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT) has the most potential to extract energy at low average Reynolds number associated with lower wind speeds to locally produce electricity. This study investigates the effects of different geometric parameters, including helix angle, pitch angle, and solidity, on a small-scale VAWT through experiments conducted in the Fakultas Teknik Mesin dan Dirgantara Institut Teknologi Bandung wind tunnel. The experiments used a 40 cm x 40 cm test section with an H-type Darrieus VAWT as the base model and scaled down for testing. Measurements of RPM and torque were taken to analyze the turbine’s performance curve. The results indicate that a turbine with a 0° helix angle (straight blade), solidity of 0.25 (N = 5), and 7.5° pitch angle achieved a higher efficiency at low Reynolds number condition.