Vertical Axis Wind Turbine Lindsay Pellhum Jordan Showalter Derek Storms Joseph Trosclair

Scope Of The Project To harness and utilize the available wind resources to help the Sustainability Center, located on north campus, in their goal of using renewable energy to one day power Greek Village. This project will also demonstrate our knowledge gained in the MET program at SLU by designing and building a vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT). As wind energy is becoming more prevalent, it is important to try to design more efficient means of harnessing such energy. It is the goal of this project to do that by applying basic VAWT principles with a structure able to withstand hurricane winds and a continuous variable transmission (CVT) that will improve longevity and efficiency.

What Is A VAWT? A wind turbine mounted on a structure with the main parts typically located at or near the base of the structure Main parts of the VAWT can be at the base of the turbine Do not need wind orientation or wind sensing equipment Are able to generate power at lower wind speeds The blades of the turbine spin on a vertical axis Requires a gearbox/generator Blades are mounted vertically

VAWT Examples Darrieus Helical Venturi

Benefits Of A VAWT Lower wind speed needed to generate energy Lower noise production Lower rotating speed Easier maintenance Take up less space No dizziness effect Better survivability Lower failure rate Omnidirectional Fewer parts Less cost

Drawbacks Of A VAWT Stress on the blades due to centrifugal force Less cost effective in large scale use Less stable at higher altitudes Fatigue on the blades Lower lifespan Less efficient

Hammond Wind Speed Averages Highest average wind speed of 6mph around March 2 with average daily max speed of 14mph Lowest average wind speed of 2mph around July 24 with average daily max speed of 10mph Yearly average wind speed of 0-14mph Wind rarely goes above 20mph

Hammond Wind Speed

Helical Turbine Blades Great solution for energy production in harsh weather conditions Can combine art and functionality to be aesthetically pleasing Intended for inland and marine environments Helical design helps distribute loads evenly Very quiet and safe in populated areas Energy production at 5m/s (11.2mph) Survivability of 60m/s (134.2mph) Omnidirectional

Venturi Turbine Utilizes the Venturi effect to increase wind- speed by funneling wind Energy production at as little as 2m/s (4.5mph) Survivability of winds up to 40m/s (89.5mph) Funnel allows omnidirectional wind capture Allows lower wind-speed to be amplified Modeled by the Bernoulli Principal HAWT / VAWT hybrid

CVT Tuning is based on flyweight weight, & primary / secondary spring rates As wind-speed increases, CVT changes gear ratio up to keep generator at desired RPM The use of a CVT for speed power amplification will be used Allows for low gear power transmission at slow wind-speed Requires little maintenance Cost efficient

Timeline of Tasks Tasks Time VAWT Design Oct 9 – Oct 15 Turbine/CVT Design Oct 16 – Oct 22 Energy Storage Design Oct 23 – Oct 29 Structural Analysis Oct 30 – Nov 5 Turbine Analysis Nov 6 – Nov 12 CVT Analysis Nov 13 – Nov 19 Energy Storage Analysis Nov 20 – Nov 26

Deliverables VAWT blueprint Turbine/CVT blueprint Selected energy storage Selected fabrication materials Budget