Doctor's dissertation at Cornell university.

Inaug.-diss.--Kiel. / Lebenslauf. Published also in Hamburg, 1936, as no. VI of the series Sprache und volkstum. "Literaturverzeichnis": p. [159]-164.

No description available.

Important stages in the development of a wind energy operated irrigation system, which is simple in design and easy to maintain, are described from model tests in wind tunnels through to a prototype prepared for field tests. The attention is focussed on gross features of the protoype including the blade geometry and aspect ratio; mast, sleeve and bearing assemblies; braking system and a load matching concept. Described towards the end are the field test arrangements of the prototype and associated instrumentation. Even according to the most conservative estimate, the prototype tests suggest that the windmill should be able to deliver around 3000 liters of water per day (eight hours of wind) to a head of 5 m in a 24 km/h wind. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Mechanical Engineering, Department of / Graduate

The objective of the thesis is to establish methodology for development of a wind turbine, simple in design and easy to maintain, for possible application in developing countries. To that end the Savonius configuration is analyzed in detail both experimentally and analytically to lay a sound foundation for its performance evaluation. Following a brief review of relevant significant contributions in the field (Chapter I), an extensive wind tunnel test-program using scale models is described which assesses the relative influence of system parameters such as blade geometry, gap-size, overlap, aspect ratio, Reynolds number, blockage, etc., on the rotor output. The parametric study leads to an optimum configuration with an increase in efficiency by around 100% compared to the reported efficiency of ≈ 12 — 15%. Of particular interest is the blockage correction procedure which is vital for application of the wind tunnel results to a prototype design, and facilitates comparison of data obtained by investigators using different models and test facilities. With the design and performance results in hand, Chapters III — VI focus attention on analytical approaches to complement the test procedure. Using the concept of a central vortex, substantiated by a flow visualization study, Chapter III develops a semi-empirical approach to predict the rotor performance using measured stationary blade pressure data. The objective here is to provide a simple yet reliable design tool which can replace dynamical testing with a significant saving in time, effort, and cost. The simple approach promises to be quite effective in predicting the rotor performance, even in the presence of blockage, and should prove useful at least in the preliminary design stages. Chapter IV describes in detail a relatively more sophisticated and rigorous Boundary Element Approach using the Discrete Vortex Model. The method attempts to represent the complex unsteady flow field with separating shear layers in a realistic fashion consistent with the available computational tools. Important steps in the numerical analysis of this challenging problem are discussed at some length in Chapter V and a performance evaluation algorithm established. Of considerable importance is the effect of computational parameters such as number of elements representing the rotor blade, time-step size, location of the nascent vortices, etc., on the accuracy of results and the associated cost. Results obtained using the Discrete Vortex Model are presented and discussed in Chapter VI, for both stationary as well as rotating Savonius configurations. A detailed parametric study provides fundamental information concerning the starting and dynamic torque time histories, power coefficient, evolution of the wake, Strouhal number, etc. A comparison with the flow visualization and wind tunnel test data (Chapter II) shows remarkable correlation suggesting considerable promise for the approach. The thesis ends with concluding remarks and a few suggestions concerning possible future research in the area. / Applied Science, Faculty of / Mechanical Engineering, Department of / Graduate

No description available.

No description available.

Cross flow wind turbines are not unique. The performance of Savonius and Darrieus turbines is well documented. Both share the advantage of being able to accept fluid flow from any direction. The Savonius is drag based and hence has poor power output while the Darrieus is lift based. Due to the fact that the Darrieus has fixed blades the fluid flow through the rotor does not result in optimal lift being generated at all points in the rotation circle. A drawback of the Darrieus system is that it has to operate at a high tip-to wind-speed ratio to obtain reasonable performance with the fixed blades. Deviation from a small optimal range of tip speed ratios results in poor performance. The Darrieus also has poor starting torque. The research conducted in this project focused on overcoming the shortcomings of other turbines and developing an effective cross flow turbine capable of good performance. A number of different concepts were experimented with, however all were based on a symmetrical aerofoil presented to the actual relative airflow at an angle that would produce the highest lift force at all times. The lift force was then utilized to generate movement and to do work on an electrical generator. All concepts contemplated were researched to ascertain their appropriateness for the intended application. During development of the final experimental platform and after lodging of a provisional patent (RSA 2007/00927) it was ascertained that the design shared some similarities with an American patent 5503525 dated 28/4/1994. This patent employed complex electronic sensing and control equipment for control of blade angle. This was thought to be overly complex and costly, particularly for small scale wind energy generation applications and a simpler mechanical solution was sought in the design of the final experimental platform used in this project. The design of the mechanical control system was refined in an attempt to make it simpler, more durable and employ the least number of moving parts. Literature studies and patent searches conducted, suggested that the mechanical control system as developed for the final experimental platform was unique. The enormous variation in the power available from the wind at the different wind speeds likely to be encountered by the device necessitated some means of control. In high wind conditions control of the amount of wind power into the device was deemed to be the preferable means of control. A number of different concepts to achieve this were devised and tested. The final concept employed limited the tail angle deflection and hence the lift produced by the aerofoils. This resulted in a seamless “throttle” control allowing the device to be used in any wind strength by adjusting the control to a position that resulted in the device receiving a suitable amount of power from the wind. The outcome of performance tests conducted indicated that the device has the potential to be developed into a viable wind turbine for both small and large scale applications. The ability to control the power input from the wind to the machine from zero to a maximum is considered to be one of the most beneficial outcomes of this project and together with the quiet operation and low speed, are considered the main advantages of the device over existing wind turbine designs. The possibilities of using the device to compress air for energy storage are exciting avenues that warrant further research.

No description available.

No description available.