Design Optimization of Savonius Wind Turbine using CFD Simulations

Abstract: This thesis is based on a simulation of the Savonius wind turbine. The Savoniusturbine is a simple vertical axis device, which has half cylindrical blades attached to the main shaft opposite to each other which creates the drag force from incoming wind and generates mechanical torque which drives the generator for electricity generation. The main aim is to investigate the best design of a two-bladed verticalaxisSavonius wind turbine. Study investigates the aerodynamics and design optimization of wind turbines. For automation purposes, CAESES software is used to design different blade profiles, and ANSYS Multiphysics software is used to simulate the different geometries in connection with CAESES software. A validation study is performed, and the generated data are compared with the previous study to validate the simulation model. The studied parameters are blade arc angle, the distance between blades, and the overlap ratio of blades. The findings show that the most efficient profile has a blade arc angle of 110 degree. The optimal distance between blades was found to be 3.1 cm with an overlap ratio of 0.25.