Analysis of a 2-Bladed NACA 0018 Vertical Axis Wind Turbine

Abstract

Renewable energy has provided a stable electricity supply with a guaranteed reduction in CO2 production. There are various types of renewable energy, but wind energy appears to be the least expensive option compared to other renewable energy sources. The current study involves the performance investigation of an H Darrius wind turbine in Ilorin Kwara State, Nigeria. Using Ilorin wind data obtained from the Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NIMET), a 2-dimensional CFD analysis was performed on a two- bladed NACA 0018 airfoil profile with the aid of Ansys (Fluent) to unravel the implications of tip-speed ratio(TSR) and azimuthal increments on the instantaneous moment and power coefficients. The study shows that the accuracy of the results depends on the azimuthal increment used. An acceptable azimuthal increment is required for a low TSR, while an increment of 0.5 is a good choice for a high TSR, and the maximum power coefficient was obtained at a TSR of 4.5.