• Wind and Structures
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• v.36 no.3
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• pp.215-220
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• 2023

We study the progressive full-scale wind tunnel tests on a high solidity vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT) for various tip speeds and pitch angles to understand the VAWT shaft system's dynamics using 0-1 Test for chaos. We identify that while varying rotor speed (tip speed) of the turbine, the system's dynamics change from periodic to chaotic through quasiperiodic and strange non-chaotic (SNA) states. The present study is the first experimental evidence for the existence of these states in the VAWT shaft system to the best of our knowledge. Using the asymptotic growth value Kc in 0-1 test, when the turbine operates at the low tip speeds and high pitch angles for low incoming wind speeds, the system behaves periodic (Kc ≈ 0). However, when the incoming wind speed increases further the system's dynamics shift from periodic to chaotic vibrations through quasi-periodic and SNA. This phenomenon is due to the dynamic stalling of blades which induces chaotic vibration in the VAWT shaft system. Further, the singular continuous spectrum method validates the presence of SNA and differentiates the SNA from chaotic vibrations.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.39 no.8
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• pp.693-702
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• 2015

This paper presents the performance characteristics of a Darrieus-type vertical-axis wind turbine (VAWT) with National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) airfoil blades. To estimate the optimum shape of the Darrieus-type wind turbine in accordance with various design parameters, we examine the aerodynamic characteristics and separated flow occurring in the vicinity of the blade, the interaction between the flow and blade, and the torque and power characteristics that are derived from it. We consider several parameters (chord length, rotor diameter, pitch angle, and helical angle) to determine the optimum shape design and characteristics of the interaction with the ambient flow. From our results, rotors with high solidity have a high power coefficient in the low tip-speed ratio (TSR) range. On the contrary, in the low TSR range, rotors with low solidity have a high power coefficient. When the pitch angle at which the airfoil is directed inward equals $-2^{\circ}$ and the helical angle equals $0^{\circ}$, the Darrieus-type VAWT generates maximum power.