Resources+VAWT

Resources for VAWT:

Vertical Axis Wind Turbines are, as the name implies, vertical. They will respond to wind energy from any direction and typically do better in turbulence than the horizontal wind turbines. There are two types depending on the method of generating force: drag or lift. The drag types, sometimes called Savonius types after their inventor, redirect the wind and use the impulse to generate a force. The lift types use air foils and Bernoulli's principle to generate force. Some designs are hybrids that use both methods to generate forces.

Generally the VAWTs are less efficient than the horizontal types.

A mechanical engineering paper on blade design

A small homemade VAWT that charges batteries

An overview of the different types

A collection of concepts, pictures and links

A lift type design from Windstuffnow

YouTube Video of a commercial 500W VAWT

[|A VAWT design competition]

[|A homemade VAWT]

[|A patented design with movable blades]

A Masters Thesis from Manchester University on VAWT design

A paper about using variable pitch blades

A 400W commercially available system for homes

Overview of Darrieus type wind turbine

Overview of the Zoetrope open source VAWT

Plans for the Zoetrope open source VAWT

A small VAWT for LED lighting