The Optimal Pitch Distance for Maximizing the Power Ratio for Savonius Turbine on Inline Configuration

Vertical Axis Wind Turbine (VAWT) array received less attention from researchers due to the low efficiency of VAWT and the challenge to obtain the optimal arrangement of the turbine array. The inline array of the wind turbine is less desirable due to the low power ratio of the array; however, the inline array uses a smaller area to be maximized on limited land. This study focuses on the inline array of the Savonius turbine with four variations based on the pitch (distance between each turbine) by using turbine diameter (D) as reference. The variation for pitch between the first and second row turbines is ranging from 1D - 4D. Through experimental test, each layout is studied. It shows a significant change concerning the turbulence intensity in the midpoint. Turbulence changes also affect the power ratio of the turbine array. The highest power ratio value is obtained by using pitch 3D. This important finding can be used as a special reference for determining the distance between Savonius turbines in inline arrays.