Effects of the Blades Orientation on a Cross-Flow Water Turbine Performance

Abstract

Efficiency and power improvement of cross-flow turbines harnessing rivers and ocean water energy is a key issue. Therefore, in this paper, we present the results of an experimental investigation on the effects of the blades orientation on a cross-flow water turbine performance. Four similar test models (same dimensions and blades) bur for different blades orientation angle i = 1.75 °, 4.5 °, - 1.75 ° and - 4.5 ° have been tested to evaluate the performance of this vertical axis water turbine (VAWT), for several water flow velocities V varying from 0.3 to 0.59 m/s, which correspond to a water free flow Reynolds number of 2.08 10⁴ to 4.36 10⁴. An analysis of these experimental results has shown that the best performance (biggest power and power coefficient) was obtained for the test model with its blades orientation angle set to 1.75 ° and the worst performance was given for the test model blades orientation of -4.5 °. A comparison of the present results with those obtained in a previous experimentation for a similar test model but with i = 0 °, has shown that the test model with its blades orientation angle fixed to 1.75 °, furnished relative increases of optimum mechanical power and of corresponding power coefficient respectively as much as 82 % and 67 % with respect to the results for i = 0 °, at a flow velocity equal to 0.37 m/s. While, the test model, with negative angle of -4.5 °, gave smaller generated power and power coefficient with corresponding relative decreases of about 49 % and 36 % with respect to those obtained for the test model with its blades fixed at 0 °.

Keywords

• Renewable energy,Cross-flow turbine,Orientation angle,Rivers,Power

References

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