A novel configuration for improving the aerodynamic performance of Savonius rotors

Abstract

In this paper, a new configuration is proposed for Savonius rotors by installing two Counter-Rotating Savonius Rotors together and adding a V-shaped shield. For evaluating the performance of this type of turbine, turbulent unsteady flow around the rotor is simulated using ANSYS-Fluent 16.0 software. Numerical results of the torque and power coefficients of the turbine show a significant improvement in the aerodynamic performance compared to a single Savonius rotor. Effects of the V-shaped shield angle and distance from the rotors on the aerodynamic performance of the turbine are studied numerically. Analyzing the results show that in a design with a shield angle of 90° and with a shield distance of L = 1D power coefficient increases by 80%.