Supported by private equity and state and federal funding, the research team has constructed and tested a 6KW prototype to install at a field site on the Fleurieu Peninsula in coming weeks.
The futuristic new design could help to increase the sustainability and energy operating costs of residential, agricultural and light industrial operations close to metropolitan areas, as well as large-scale offshore windfarms.
In the global transition to renewable energy, horizontal axis wind turbines have led the way, leaving vertical axis wind turbines (VAWTs) in the background. However, the engineering experts at Flinders University are challenging this trend by working with the VAWT-X Energy design to develop innovative prototypes of large-scale VAWTs, set to be tested in real-world conditions in 2025.
The large standalone vertical turbine – designed with quiet operation and adaptability in mind – are shaping up to be just as efficient, if not more so, than their horizontal counterparts, says Dr Amir Zanj, head of the Advanced Wind Energy Technology (AWET) research group based at Flinders University’s Tonsley campus.
In a recent review article published in Energies, Dr Zanj and colleagues give insights into the potential of Darrieus-type VAWTs.
“ ‘Darrieus’ VAWTs can thrive across diverse environments, whether they’re set up as single units, part of urban infrastructure, or scaled up for larger wind farms,” says Dr Zanj, from the College of Science and Engineering.
“They offer advantages like high power density on wind farms, greater stability for offshore use, and adaptability to urban areas with shifting winds – all while being quieter and more economical to operate.”
VAWT-X Energy founder Gary Andrews says the new wind turbine aims to address some of the long-standing aerodynamic challenges.
“We believe our VAWTs are not only more efficient but also more accessible for applications like off-grid power and sustainable energy solutions for small businesses and farms,” Mr Andrews says.
“The design of these new VAWT-X Energy turbines solves some of the traditional barriers for Darrieus designs.”
With these advancements, VAWTs could soon offer a more sustainable, versatile alternative for renewable production in Australia and elsewhere, researchers say.
The low-maintenance two-bladed helical vertical axis wind turbine design comprises a rotor with a shaft connected to a brake and generator.
Along with private equity funding, research and development will continue this year with a new grant from the Australian Government. The project is also supported by a $300,000 grant from the Department of State Development in South Australia.
The Minister for Energy and Mining, Tom Koutsantonis MP, says South Australia is a leader in the global energy transition, with an ambitious target of 100 per cent net renewable electricity generation target by 2027.
“We have reached this position by embracing innovation, and that’s why the Malinauskas Government continues to back in projects such as this, which challenge conventional thinking around renewable energy generation.”
Since the rotor axis is in the vertical direction, VAWTs are described as more suited to sites where the wind direction is highly variable and are relatively quiet so particularly useful in residential and urban areas. However, drag co-efficiencies created by the blades rotating into the wind have created challenges in their development compared to horizontal axis wind turbines.
Dr Zanj, a Flinders University Lecturer in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, obtained a PhD focusing on complex system modelling. He established a partnership with VAWT-X Energy in 2019 after company founder Gary Andrews brought his visionary green energy project to the University for development.
The article, Addressing VAWT aerodynamic challenges as the key to unlocking their potential in the wind energy sector (2024) by Abolfazi Abdolahifar and Amir Zanj has been published in a special issue of Energies entitled ‘Wind Turbine Aeromechanics: Theory, Methods and Applications’. DOI: 10.3390/en17205052.
