Effect of the Number of Vanes in the Omnidirectional Guide Vane on Performance of Swirling Savonius Rotor

Abstract

In this study, an omnidirectional guide vane (ODGV) was developed surrounding a swirling savonius rotor to increase the rotor performance. The ODGV consisted of several vanes which were to guide the air with a 45 deg counter-clockwise direction. The design was to accelerate the flow to increase the positive torque of the advancing blade. An open type wind tunnel is used to test the wind turbine model to investigate how ODGV influences rotor performance. Five ODGV were developed in this study, employing 4, 6, 8, 12, and 16 guide vanes that were 5 cm in width. Results showed that ODGV can substantially increase the rotor performance, depending on the number of guide vanes. The ODGV with 12 blades on produced the largest effect on the rotor performance in Re = 93269 can increase Cp 69,15 % more than a swirling savonius rotor without ODGV. As increase Reynolds number effect ODGV tends to increase the rotor performance significantly.