0515 Experimental Study on the Straight-bladed Vertical Axis Turbine for Wave Energy Conversion : Effect of Guide Vane Solidity on the Performance

Abstract

A straight-bladed vertical axis turbine for wave energy conversion has been proposed in order to develop a novel air turbine suitable for OWC based on wave energy plant. The objective of this study is to clarify the effects of guide vane number and solidity on the performance of the straight-bladed vertical axis turbine. Performances of the proposed turbine under steady flow conditions have been investigated experimentally by using a wind tunnel. The tested rotor has some straight blades with a profile of NACA0018, a pitch diameter of 460 mm and a width of 490mm. It is found that the guide vane number n suitable for the proposed turbine is obtained in the case of n = 2.