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TU-Clausthal Institute of Applied Mechanics

Pilot study on the acceptance of vertical axis wind turbines

Due to its environmental compatibility and advances in wind power technology, wind energy is becoming increasingly important in the field of renewable energies. This also applies to small wind turbines with a nominal output of between 5 and 25 kW for the decentralized generation of electricity. In recent years, this has rekindled interest in systems with a vertically arranged axis of rotation - following the Darrieus principle - after this technology was displaced by concepts with a horizontal axis of rotation in the 1980s. VAWTs (Vertical-Axis Wind Turbines) have a number of advantages over conventional HAWTs (Horizontal-Axis Wind Turbines). The VAWT works independently of the wind direction and therefore does not require wind tracking. This results in simpler designs and potentially lower manufacturing and maintenance costs, which is why they appear particularly attractive for small turbine sizes. On the other hand, the aerodynamics are more complex due to the design-related instability of the flow. The resulting aerodynamic alternating loads were also the reason for the failure of some Darrieus systems in the 1980s. In addition, the power yield of the systems designed to date is lower than that of horizontal-axis competitors for the same system size.
The aim of the project is to carry out an evaluation of small wind turbines. Not only technical aspects but also design, economic, psychological and legal criteria will be taken into account. The following institutions and companies are working together under the project management of the Institute of Psychology at Martin Luther University Halle - Wittenberg: IFEU Institute for Energy and Environmental Research Heidelberg, Clausthal University of Technology - Institute for Technical Mechanics, Burg Giebichenstein University of Art and Design Halle - Department of Design, PSE AG - Freiburg, TASSA GmbH - Wolfsburg. Funding is provided by the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety.

Contact us

Dr.-Ing. Merim Mukinovic, Room 120, Tel. +49 5323 72-3563

Publications

  • Hübner et al, Pilot study on the acceptance of vertical wind turbines, interim report on the BMU-EE cross-sectional research project, 2008.
  • Mukinovic, M., Brenner, G., Rahimi, A., Aerodynamic Study of Vertical Axis Wind Turbines,<(i> Proc. ParCFD Conference, Lyon, 2008.
  • Mukinovic, M., Brenner, G., Rahimi, A., Analysis of Vertical Axis Wind Turbines, 16th DGLR Symposium of STAB, Aachen, 2008.