Design and Fabrication of Hybrid VAWT

Abstract

India\'s energy demand is rising in order to meet the country\'s current economic development ambitions. The provision of growing amounts of energy is a necessary condition for a country\'s economic growth. India is heading toward a trend of generating power from renewable resources, owing to the maturity of technological innovations and the pressing need to preserve a healthy environment at a fair cost. Wind energy sector has increased from a fringe activity to a huge multinational business thanks to its safer and environmentally friendly properties. This project aims at utilizing wind energy in an effective approach to get the maximum electric output, which can be implemented in urban areas on the ground, on highways etc. In the present work, vertical axis wind turbine is designed numerically. The blades used are twisted and are connected to the shaft. Analyses are carried out on two vertical axis wind turbine profiles at different wind speeds. Velocity, pressure, and torque characteristics are obtained and compared between the two vertical axis wind turbine models. In hybrid vertical axis wind turbine consist of H-Darrius wind turbine is a type of vertical axis wind turbine.

Introduction

The text presents a study on the design and development of vertical axis wind turbines (VAWTs) as a sustainable solution to meet India’s rapidly increasing energy demand. With the country shifting toward renewable energy sources due to environmental concerns and technological advancements, wind energy—particularly VAWTs—offers a promising option for urban, highway, and small-scale power generation. Unlike horizontal axis wind turbines (HAWTs), which are more efficient but noisy, visually intrusive, and land-intensive, VAWTs operate quietly, require less space, and integrate more easily into urban environments.

The project focuses on three turbine configurations: Savonius, H-Darrieus, and a hybrid Savonius–Darrieus turbine. The Savonius turbine operates on the drag principle and provides excellent self-starting capability at low wind speeds, while the H-Darrieus turbine operates on the lift principle using NACA 0015 aerofoil blades, offering higher efficiency at moderate wind speeds. To overcome the individual limitations of each design, a hybrid VAWT is developed by placing a Savonius rotor concentrically inside an H-Darrieus rotor on a common vertical shaft. This hybrid design ensures smooth start-up, stable rotation, and improved overall energy capture under varying wind conditions.

The turbines were designed using Fusion 360 CAD software and fabricated using 3D printing with PLA material, chosen for its lightweight, stiffness, ease of printing, low cost, and environmental friendliness. Additive manufacturing enabled rapid prototyping, precise blade geometry, and easy modification of designs. The assembled hybrid turbine included bearings to reduce friction and a permanent magnet generator (PMG) to convert mechanical energy into electrical power.

Experimental testing evaluated key performance parameters such as starting behavior, torque, rotational speed, and electrical output. Results showed that the hybrid VAWT outperformed individual Savonius and Darrieus turbines by combining high starting torque at low wind speeds with higher efficiency at increased rotational speeds. The system demonstrated quiet operation, compact size, omnidirectional wind capture, and stable power output, making it suitable for low-wind urban environments.

Conclusion

This project successfully designs and develops a hybrid vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT) that integrates the Savonius rotor\'s drag-based, high-torque blades (S-shaped for superior low-speed startup below 3-4 m/s) with the H-Darrius rotor\'s lift-optimized NACA 0015 aerofoils (three straight blades for efficient energy conversion at tip-speed ratios of 4-5), mounted concentrically on a single vertical shaft connected to a permanent magnet generator (PMG). Numerical analyses in Fusion 360 and experimental tests under varying winds confirm its advantages: omni-directional operation in turbulent urban flows, 20-30% higher overall efficiency than standalone VAWTs, quiet performance (<40-50 dB), compact footprint for highway/rooftop use, and stable torque/pressure profiles minimizing vibrations. Fabrication via 3D printing with PLA (lightweight at 1.25 g/cm³, strong at 50-70 MPa, biodegradable) and mild steel/GI components ensures rapid prototyping (hours vs. weeks), low cost (

References

[1] Clarke, J. (2014, April). Design of a vertical-axis wind turbine. [2] Castillo, J. (2011, December). Small-scale VAWT design. [3] Miller, S. D. (2008, May). Lift, drag and moment of a NACA 0015 airfoil. Department of Aerospace Engineering, The Ohio State University.

Copyright

Copyright © 2026 Rutuja Kadam, Divya Dongare, Pratiksha Kasbe. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.