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There are a multitude of wind turbine
designs on the market and this article details the unique
Savonius wind turbine. Unlike the more common horizontal
turbine designs, the Savonius wind turbine is based on a
vertical architecture that relies on scoops to rotate in the
wind. This rotation is then transferred through a vertical shaft
to the generator for the production of electricity. This wind
turbine is the perfect choice for applications that require
minimal power, but extreme reliability. The simplicity of the
Savonius design makes it a popular choice among applications
that require as little maintenance as possible.
Savonius Wind Turbine In the field of wind generated power
there are various styles of equipment used to capture the power
of the wind and convert it to electricity. Most of the designs
follow the typical style of a windmill, or airplane style
propeller that sits atop a tower and rotates to catch the wind.
The Savonius Wind style turbine is different in design because
it is a vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT). This means that the
actual portion of the turbine that spins looks more like a
rotating canister (or groups of canisters) that attach to a
vertical shaft connected to the generator also mounted
vertically near the ground. This vertical shaft then catches the
wind, spins the shaft and turns the generator to produce the
electrical current. |
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The original design of this type of turbine
was done in 1922 by Sigurd Savonius, a Finnish engineer. This
type of turbine is used quite often because of it’s simple
design and reliability. Also, because it spins on a horizontal
axis, there is no need to have a directional device to keep the
unit aligned in the path of the wind like other models. It can
catch the wind in any direction and reacts immediately to
changes in wind direction. This type of turbine is considered a
“drag style” turbine from an aerodynamic point of view.
It is based on the principle that because of the canisters
shape, it experience more drag when moving with the wind than
against it and it benefits from the differential created and
converts it to rotation. Because in general drag type turbines
are less efficient, it does not produce as much power as its
more common horizontal cousin, but can still have a wide range
of applications. This type of wind turbine is used in most of
the atmospheric monitoring stations around the world since these
tend to be located in remote areas and the importance of
reliability and low power consumption make the Savonius wind
turbine a perfect choice.
They are also used on other remote locations like buoys far out
in the ocean. They are also sometimes used to draw attention to
advertising signs. In this application they are not used to
generate any power, but have opposite sides painted contrasting
colors to grab your attention as they spin. So in general the
Savonius wind turbine is a very unique design that lends itself
to many varied applications. Its simplicity and reliability make
it the perfect choice for situations that require minimal power
generation, but rock solid performance
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