Development of a Small-Scale Vertical Axis Wind Turbine for Generation of Compressed Air for Pneumatic Systems

Abstract This work presents the development of a cost effective vertical axis wind turbine for generation of compressed air using locally sourced materials. The design of the wind turbine takes into consideration the reduction in the weight and size of the turbine thereby lowering production and installation costs. This increases the efficiency by increasing the resistance from dynamic loads and reduction of acoustic noise discharge. The following locally sourced materials were employed for the development of the wind turbine compressed air system: acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, teflon, polyethylene terephthalate, mild steel, rubber and wood filings. The blade design is of the form airfoil shape of NACA 2412 type typical of air crafts wings with a chord of 50 mm and utmost camber of 2% sited 40% (0.4 chords) from the leading edge and utmost thickness of 12% of the chord. The aerodynamic properties include angle of attack which is 2.2° and the utmost twist angle which is 25.66°. From the performance evaluation, maximum tip speed ratio of 0.9 was achieved as well as power output generation of approximately 14 watt at 10.2 m/s wind speed. The findings of this project identify compressed air energy storage as a viable alternative to chemical energy storage generated from wind turbines. The developed turbine will contribute significantly to the effective conversion of wind kinetic energy into pressure energy as opposed to electrical.