A novel origami inspired single rotor horizontal axis wind turbine

Year 2025, Volume: 9 Issue: 3, 271 - 291, 30.09.2025

Ahmad Sedaghat , Bassem Djedi Mohamad Hussein Farhat Mohamad Iyad Al-khiami Mohamed El Badawy

https://doi.org/10.30521/jes.1723925

Abstract

While several distinct vertical axis wind turbines with low power performance exist for integration in buildings, implementing micro horizontal axis wind turbines in buildings poses challenges due to their visual impacts, noise levels, and risks to flying birds. In this work, seven novel origami rotor designs featuring four internal tubular nozzle shapes and varying inlet/outlet aspect ratios are manufactured using 3D printing and tested in a subsonic wind tunnel under three scenarios: Without a micro-3-phase electric generator, with the generator but no load, and with both generator and a load, across wind speeds ranging from 3.5 m/s to 25 m/s. Results indicate that the designs with an aspect ratio below 3 perform well. Cut-in speeds of 3.5 m/s and 8 m/s are achieved with and without the electric generator, respectively. The rotation speeds range from 25 rpm to 3300 rpm. A maximum voltage of 27.6 V is recorded without load and the maximum power coefficient of 0.0168 is achieved at the tip speed ratio of 0.44 for a micro turbine with a 10 cm diameter. This research further elaborates on the characteristics of the different rotor designs, discusses their respective advantages and shortcomings, and outlines plans for future modification.

Keywords

Bladeless , Environment impact , Horizontal axis , Hubless , Noise reduction , Origami , Single rotor , Wind turbine.

Ethical Statement

This document contains confidential intellectual property owned by Ahmad Sedaghat and Bassem Djedi, protected under Kuwait laws. Unauthorized manufacturing, use, reproduction, or disclosure is prohibited. For inquiries, contact Ahmad Sedaghat at [e-mail].

Supporting Institution

Australian Univdersity - Kuwait

Thanks

We wish to acknowledge the support of all the staff at the Australian University (AU) of Kuwait. Their help and advice were highly appreciated. We wish to acknowledge Mr. Girish Kaimal Mohanan from the Fluid Mechanics Laboratory for processing all 3D prints. We are also grateful to Mr. Waqar Jan Zafar from the Electrical and Electronics laboratory for assisting in assembling rotors to the generator and helping with power measurements. We also gratefully wish to thank the engineers and technicians at the AU workshop, particularly Mr. Subramaniam Sundaram, Mr. Hamid Heidar Saadi, and Mr. Joshith Valiyaparambath, and other workshop members, for their help in manufacturing the mechanical stands for wind tunnel testing. Finally, we are indebted to Dr. Ehab Bani Hani for allowing us to use the 3D printer from the PBL (Project-Based Learning) center.

References

• [1] Chong WT, Muzammil WK, Wong KH, Wang CT, Gwani M, Chu YJ, Poh SC. Cross axis wind turbine: Pushing the limit of wind turbine technology with complementary design. Appl Energy 2017; 207: 78–95.
• [2] Thoppil A, Akbar AA, Rambabu D. Dynamic analysis of a tri-floater with vertical axis wind turbine supported at its centroid. Journal of Energy Systems 2021; 5(1): 10–19. DOI: 10.30521/jes.811097.
• [3] Sunderland K, Woolmington T, Blackledge J, Conlon M. Small wind turbines in turbulent (urban) environments: A consideration of normal and Weibull distributions for power prediction. J Wind Eng Ind Aerodyn 2013; 121: 70–81.
• [4] Scappatici L, Bartolini N, Castellani F, Astolfi D, Garinei A, Pennicchi M. Optimizing the design of horizontal-axis small wind turbines: From the laboratory to market. J Wind Eng Ind Aerodyn 2016; 154: 58–68.
• [5] Jafari SAH, Kwok KC, Safaei F, Kosasih B, Zhao M. The effects of installation configuration and solidity on the power generation of a linear cascade wind turbine. J Wind Eng Ind Aerodyn 2018; 180: 122–135.
• [6] Vaz JR, Wood DH. Aerodynamic optimization of the blades of diffuser-augmented wind turbines. Energy Convers Manag 2016; 123: 35–45.
• [7] Limacher EJ, da Silva PO, Barbosa PE, Vaz JR. Large exit flanges in diffuser-augmented turbines lead to sub-optimal performance. J Wind Eng Ind Aerodyn 2020; 204: 104228.
• [8] Scungio M, Arpino F, Focanti V, Profili M, Rotondi M. Wind tunnel testing of scaled models of a newly developed Darrieus-style vertical axis wind turbine with auxiliary straight blades. Energy Convers Manag 2016; 130: 60–70.
• [9] Fertahi SD, Rehman S, Benini E, Lahrech K, Samaouali A, Arbaoui A, Kadiri I, Agounoun R. Insights from the last decade in computational fluid dynamics (CFD) design and performance enhancement of Darrieus wind turbines. Processes 2025; 13: 370. DOI: 10.3390/pr13020370.
• [10] Xu Z, Feng YH, Zhao CY, Huo YL, Li S, Hu XJ, Zhong YJ. Experimental and numerical investigation on aerodynamic performance of a novel disc-shaped wind rotor for the small-scale wind turbine. Energy Convers Manag 2018; 175: 173–191.
• [11] Ma C, Wang G, Wang D, Peng X, Yang Y, Liu X, Yang C, Chen J. Optimization design and performance analysis of a bio-inspired fish-tail vertical axis wind rotor. Energy Convers Manag 2024; 300: 117901.
• [12] Antar E, Elkhoury M. Parametric sizing optimization process of a casing for a Savonius vertical axis wind turbine. Renew Energy 2019; 136: 127–138.
• [13] Chen WH, Chen CY, Huang CY, Hwang CJ. Power output analysis and optimization of two straight-bladed vertical-axis wind turbines. Appl Energy 2017; 185: 223–232.
• [14] Xu FJ, Yuan FG, Hu JZ, Qiu YP. Miniature horizontal axis wind turbine system for multipurpose application. Energy 2014; 75: 216–224.
• [15] Huang CC, Bai CJ, Shiah YC, Chen YJ. Optimal design of protuberant blades for small variable-speed horizontal axis wind turbine—experiments and simulations. Energy 2016; 115: 1156–1167.
• [16] Azam A, Ahmed A, Wang H, Wang Y, Zhang Z. Knowledge structure and research progress in wind power generation (WPG) from 2005 to 2020 using CiteSpace based scientometric analysis. J Clean Prod 2021; 295: 126496.
• [17] Ying P, Chen YK, Xu YG. An aerodynamic analysis of a novel small wind turbine based on impulse turbine principles. Renew Energy 2015; 75: 37–43.
• [18] Grieser B, Sunak Y, Madlener R. Economics of small wind turbines in urban settings: An empirical investigation for Germany. Renew Energy 2015; 78: 334–350.
• [19] Maeda T, Kamada Y, Murata J, Yamamoto M, Ogasawara T, Shimizu K, Kogaki T. Study on power performance for straight-bladed vertical axis wind turbine by field and wind tunnel test. Renew Energy 2016; 90: 291–300.
• [20] Didane DH, Rosly N, Zulkafli MF, Shamsudin SS. Performance evaluation of a novel vertical axis wind turbine with coaxial contra-rotating concept. Renew Energy 2018; 115: 353–361.
• [21] Eltayesh A, Castellani F, Burlando M, Hanna MB, Huzayyin AS, El-Batsh HM, Becchetti M. Experimental and numerical investigation of the effect of blade number on the aerodynamic performance of a small-scale horizontal axis wind turbine. Alexandria Eng J 2021; 60(4): 3931–3944.
• [22] Murthy KSR, Rahi OP. A comprehensive review of wind resource assessment. Renew Sustain Energy Rev 2017; 72: 1320–1342.
• [23] Zanforlin S, Letizia S. Improving the performance of wind turbines in urban environment by integrating the action of a diffuser with the aerodynamics of the rooftops. Energy Procedia 2015; 82: 774–781.
• [24] Arumugam P, Ramalingam V, Bhaganagar K. A pathway towards sustainable development of small capacity horizontal axis wind turbines–Identification of influencing design parameters & their role on performance analysis. Sustain Energy Technol Assess 2021; 44: 101019.
• [25] Sunny KA, Kumar P, Kumar NM. Experimental study on novel curved blade vertical axis wind turbines. Results Eng 2020; 7: 100149.
• [26] El-Shahat A, Hasan M, Abdelaziz AY. Micro-small-scale horizontal axis wind turbine design and performance analysis for micro-grids applications. In: Smart Microgrids: From Design to Laboratory-Scale Implementation, 2019. pp. 65–117.
• [27] Jouchi AA, Pourrajabian A, Rahgozar S, Dehghan M. A novel and economic rotor hub configuration for small wind turbines. Sustain Energy Technol Assess 2021; 47: 101344.
• [28] Kassa BY, Baheta AT, Beyene A. Current trends and innovations in enhancing the aerodynamic performance of small-scale, horizontal axis wind turbines: A review. ASME Open J Eng 2024; 3.
• [29] Chong WT, Gwani M, Tan CJ, Muzammil WK, Poh SC, Wong KH. Design and testing of a novel building integrated cross axis wind turbine. Appl Sci 2017; 7(3): 251.
• [30] Recharge news. Norwegian start-up’s giant 117-turbine floating wind design adds $1M to warchest for launch [Internet]. Available from: https://www.rechargenews.com/wind/norwegian-start-ups-giant-117-turbine-floating-wind-design-adds-1m-to-warchest-for-launch/2-1-1402436. Accessed 24 July 2024.
• [31] Chen YJ, Shiah YC. Experiments on the performance of small horizontal axis wind turbine with passive pitch control by disk pulley. Energies 2016; 9(5): 353.
• [32] Corbalán PA, Chiang LE. Fast Power Coefficient vs. Tip–Speed Ratio Curves for Small Wind Turbines with Single-Variable Measurements Following a Single Test Run. Energies 2024; 17(5): 1199.
• [33] Gribkov SV. Technique for testing small wind turbines by method of acceleration in the wind tunnel and in the field. In: IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science 2021 Mar; 689(1): 012019. IOP Publishing.
• [34] Ighodaro O, Akhihiero D. Modeling and performance analysis of a small horizontal axis wind turbine. J Energy Res Technol 2021; 143(3): 031301.
• [35] Zakaria MY, Pereira DA, Hajj MR. Experimental investigation and performance modeling of centimeter-scale micro-wind turbine energy harvesters. J Wind Eng Ind Aerodyn 2015; 147: 58–65.
• [36] Jackson RS, Amano R. Experimental study and simulation of a small-scale horizontal-axis wind turbine. J Energy Res Technol 2017; 139(5): 051207.
• [37] Kumar PM, Sivalingam K, Narasimalu S, Lim TC, Ramakrishna S, Wei H. A review on the evolution of Darrieus vertical axis wind turbine: Small wind turbines. J Power Energy Eng 2019; 7(4): 27–44.
• [38] Bhowon A, Abo-Al-Ez KM, Adonis M. Variable-speed wind turbines for grid frequency support: A systematic literature review. Mathematics 2022; 10(19): 3586.
• [39] Zoucha J, Crespo C, Wolf H, Aboy M. Review of recent patents on vertical-axis wind turbines (VAWTs). Recent Patents Eng 2023; 17(4): 3–15.
• [40] Fonseca LM, Rodrigues GV, Savi MA. An overview of the mechanical description of origami-inspired systems and structures. Int J Mech Sci 2022; 223: 107316.
• [41] Liu H, James RD. Design of origami structures with curved tiles between the creases. J Mech Phys Solids 2024; 185: 105559.
• [42] Cozmei M, Hasseler T, Kinyon E, Wallace R, Deleo AA, Salviato M. Aerogami: Composite origami structures as active aerodynamic control. Compos Part B Eng 2020; 184: 107719.
• [43] Aeromine. The motionless wind energy system [Internet]. Available from: https://aerominetechnologies.com/. Accessed 24 July 2024.
• [44] Ventum Dynamics. VX175 rooftop friendly wind turbine [Internet]. Available from: https://ventumdynamics.com/. Accessed 24 July 2024.
• [45] Guo Y, Ru P, Su J, Anadon LD. Not in my backyard, but not far away from me: Local acceptance of wind power in China. Energy 2015; 82: 722–733.
• [46] Petrova MA. NIMBYism revisited: Public acceptance of wind energy in the United States. WIREs Clim Change 2013; 4(6): 575–601.
• [47] FlashForge Creator 3. [Internet]. Available from: https://flashforge-usa.com/products/shop-flashforge-creator-3-pro-independent-dual-extruder-3d-printer. Accessed 24 July 2024.
• [48] GUNT. HM 170 open wind tunnel [Internet]. Available from: https://www.gunt.de/en/products/open-wind-tunnel/070.17000/hm170/glct-1:pa-148:pr-769. Accessed 24 July 2024.
• [49] Çengel YA. Fluid Mechanics: Fundamentals and Applications. ISE Paperback ed. New York: McGraw-Hill Education, 2024.
• [50] Ohya Y, Karasudani T, Sakurai A, Abe KI, Inoue M. Development of a shrouded wind turbine with a flanged diffuser. J Wind Eng Ind Aerodyn 2008; 96(5): 524–539.