Design optimization of a cost-effective micro wind turbine

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to investigate the performance of a specially designed micro wind turbine for urban environment where the wind speed is usually low. Differing from the traditional wind turbine that can be connected directly to the grid, the micro wind turbine is linked to a small generator and mainly used for local applications. The advantage of the micro wind turbine is that, apart from its low cost, it can be propelled by a wind speed as low as 2 m/s. In this paper, the performance of a single micro wind turbine was evaluated through CFD analysis. The CFD simulation shows good agreement with experimental results. The validated computer model is then used for optimizing the wind turbine blade design with varying blade subtend-angle and blade number.