Flow separation on a high Reynolds number, high solidity vertical axis wind turbine with straight and canted blades and canted blades with fences

The aerodynamics of a high solidity vertical axis wind turbine was investigated through wind tunnel tests of a full size turbine operating at Reynolds numbers of Re ≥ 500,000 (where the power production has been shown to be Re independent). Flow visualization using light-weight tufts attached to the inner surface of a blade was used to gain insight on the operating aerodynamics, which is related to the measured power performance. The tufts …