Vertical axis wind turbine with omni-directional-guide-vane for urban high-rise buildings

A novel shrouded wind-solar hybrid renewable energy and rain water harvester with an omni-directional-guide-vane (ODGV) for urban high-rise application is introduced. The ODGV surrounds the vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT) and enhances the VAWT performance by increasing the on-coming wind speed and guiding it to an optimum flow angle before it interacts with the rotor blades. An ODGV scaled model was built and tested in the laboratory. The experimental results show that the rotational speed of the VAWT increases by about 2 times. Simulations show that the installation of the ODGV increases the torque output of a single-bladed VAWT by 206% for tip speed ratio of 0.4. The result also reveals that higher positive torque can be achieved when the blade tangential force at all radial positions is optimized. In conclusion, the ODGV improves the power output of a VAWT and this integrated design promotes the installation of wind energy systems in urban areas.