Economic overview of vertical axis wind turbines
Sandia Laboratories, as part of its investigation of the Darrieus Vertical Axis Wind Turbine (VAWT), has been involved recently in an economic assessment of the concept. The class of VAWT's investigated use curved, fixed-pitch blades of constant section rigidly attached to a vertical rotating tower. Qualitatively, the main advantages of the VAWT over more conventional, propeller-type machines are the elimination of yaw controls, the placement of mechanical equipment at ground level, its amenability to simple, low-cost blade fabrication techniques, and aerodynamic stall characteristics which eliminate the need for active pitch control devices. The main disadvantages relative to modern propeller machines are a somewhat lower aerodynamic efficiency (about 10% lower), the limited ability of the rotor to self-start, and generally lower rotor operating RPM's, which leads to higher torque capacity requirements for the drive train.
- Research Organization:
- Sandia Labs., Albuquerque, NM (USA)
- DOE Contract Number:
- EY-76-C-04-0789
- OSTI ID:
- 6273319
- Report Number(s):
- SAND-79-0733C; CONF-790352-1
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: EPRI wind-energy economics workshop, Monterey, CA, USA, 27 Mar 1979
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Initial structural response measurements for the Sandia 34-meter VAWT (vertical axis wind turbine) Test Bed
Vertical axis wind turbine power regulation through centrifugally pumped lift spoiling