Reynolds number effects on the aerodynamic performance of a vertical axis wind turbine

The multi-stream tube method is known as a practical aerodynamic method for the design of a vertical axis wind turbine. In this paper, the formulas of MTM which cover the parameters of Reynolds numbers are given, and the related computer program is also worked out. By using this program, some examples were calculated. The results indicate that there is a wide changeable range of Reynolds number in the VAWT design. Thus the calculation accuracy is much improved with the consideration of Reynolds number as a variable involved in the governing equations.