University of Twente Student Theses
Design and experimental validation of a modular, fully variable and independent pitch controlled Vertical Axis Wind Turbine research platform for wind tunnel testing
Vernhout, Daniël (2025) Design and experimental validation of a modular, fully variable and independent pitch controlled Vertical Axis Wind Turbine research platform for wind tunnel testing.
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| Abstract: | Amidst the energy transition and the expansion of the wind energy sector, Vertical Axis Wind Turbines (VAWT), pose many advantages for urban and deep-sea offshore regions, allowing sea level generator placement, reducing turbine scale coupling to height and enabling light-weight floating setups. Furthermore, the wake structure of VAWT allows placing wind turbines closer together, achieving higher wind farm energy extraction density. Most challenges of VAWT originate from the large fluctuation in local flow conditions within each rotational cycle, creating a highly complex dynamic flow regime and large cyclic loading. This research developed a modular research platform scaled wind turbine, to allow wind tunnel investigations on influence of any geometrical parameter on turbine performance. To mitigate problems caused by varying flow conditions, an electronic, programmable individual pitch mechanism was implemented, providing complete control over the blade pitch at any point in the cycle. An analytical model was developed to generate efficient pitching trajectories, which were tested in the wind tunnel for various turbine configurations (number of blades, chord lengths, spans), demonstrating significant performance improvements over conventional VAWT. Future experimental work may include mapping the VAWT parameter space, optimizing pitch for load reduction, cross-validating simulations and studying the wake of pitch-actuated VAWTs. |
| Item Type: | Essay (Master) |
| Faculty: | ET: Engineering Technology |
| Subject: | 52 mechanical engineering |
| Programme: | Mechanical Engineering MSc (60439) |
| Link to this item: | https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/106363 |
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