vertical axis wind turbine

[jciii]

would like to hear from anyone who has experience with vertical wind generators. seems like most of the manufacturers are in china with limited info available. looking for over 500w max verifiable with low startup speeds and marine duty components. 12/24/48v options. couldn't find any threads.

[barnakiel]

Imho a vertical one to deliver 500W may be quite large.


My friend had a small vertical one back around 2003. It was only 1A output at best (UK made).


On a boat the turbine needs to be hoisted well clear. So you want the lightest kit you can get. Light and ooomps.


b.

[Adelie]

I recall Uma was going to install a Tesup VAT (Vertical Axis Turbine) but went into refit instead.
https://tesup.com/us/products/tesup-...YaAg2AEALw_wcB

I think a VAT is safer than a HAT, if you touch them while they are turning it’s a glancing blow by the trailing edge rather than a slashing blow by a blade.

Mounted next to the mast it won’t shade solar panels at the stern.

Have not used them or seen them used so no opinion on veracity of Tesup’s claims.

[GordMay]

I’ve, personally, replied to similar queries, several times:
“Vertical axis wind generator??
➥ https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums...ml#post3787706
“Vertical Axis Wind Generators”
➥ https://www.cruisersforum.com/forums...html#post26236
There's more conversations, on the topic.

[coopec43]

When I see "world girdlers'" yachts in the marina they always have 1m+ high stanchions, mesh safety netting, stacks of solar panels and one (or two) horizontal axis wind turbines.

I have often wondered if these world girdlers don't know what they are doing as there's plenty of experts on these forums who reckon they are useless.

[Adelie]

Just because large expensive boats have something, doesn't mean it is appropriate for smaller or cheaper boats.

On a large boat, there may be more room for wind turbines.

Also state of the art changes over time. Just because HATs were the better choice doesn't mean they still are.

I'm not saying VATs are the better choice, I'm saying the decision is not obvious to me and I have explained my reasoning for being interested in VATs.

[Scrimshaw4]

Amazon appears to have several. I wonder what the comparable noise levels are VWT vs HWT?

[Madehn]

When I looked into these pretty extensively a few years ago they were relatively inefficient when compared to conventional design. I have talked to several people who had one and they said their prim use was to start a discussion with strangers but as far as producing any significant power they were useless. JMHO

[barnakiel]

Re noise yes the vertical ones I have seen are not as noisy as the fast spinning horizontal ones most commonly used on boats.


b.

[ZekeB]

No practical experience, not an expert. No affiliations.

There is something relevant that I filed away for my own future research. I saw a documentary on NHK TV (Japan), about a company building turbines that use the Magnus effect.

Instead of blades or scoops, there are rotating vertical cylinders. They take advantage of the same physics, that makes a rotating baseball curve as it travels. If you rotate a cylinder fast enough, it will want to move perpendicular to wind that moves across it.

I think the biggest negative compared to other technologies, is the power input requirement, which cuts into efficiency.

The advantages, are no danger that blades have, and (at least the larger non-boat size) can handle typhoon wind speeds without flying apart. The larger ones made by this company only record about 50 decibels @ 25m; as barnkiel posted, they are quieter than other turbines.

If their 10m assembly rates @ 10kw, I wonder how close it would scale to linear, 1m = 1000w?


http://https://challenergy.com/en/magnus/

[wholybee]

I have met a few cruisers with Vertical Axis wind generators. One in particular, when I asked him about it, said that it did nothing. He only kept in on his boat as a conversation starter because other cruisers would visit in the dinghy to ask about it.
He had a traditional horizontal that worked well prior, but he "upgraded" during a refit. He had enough solar that the loss of wind power wasn't worth replacing the vertical with a new horizontal.
Most wind farms are horizontal.

[ullar]

Power generated by the wind turbine is propotional to the swept area. The thing with VAT is that the efficient area for those is about a halve of the overall swept area.

Bottom line is: vertical axis turbine is less efficient than horizontal axis turbine of similar size.

[GordMay]

Originally Posted by Scrimshaw4

Amazon appears to have several. I wonder what the comparable noise levels are VWT vs HWT?

In general, HAWTs tend to be noisier than VAWTs.
The VAWT has a considerably lower tip speed ratio, [usually] lower swept area, and a simpler mechanical arrangement.