sustainability

Article
On the Performance of a Modified Triple Stack Blade Savonius
Wind Turbine as a Function of Geometrical Parameters
Reza Norouztabar 1 , Seyed Soheil Mousavi Ajarostaghi 2 , Seyed Sina Mousavi 3 , Payam Nejat 4,5 ,
Seyed Saeid Rahimian Koloor 6 and Mohamed Eldessouki 6,7,8, *

1 Department of Mechanical Engineering, Mazandaran University of Science and Technology,

Babol 47166-85635, Iran
2 Mechanical Engineering Department, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, QC J1K 2R1, Canada
3 Department of Civil Engineering, Babol Noshirvani University of Technology, Babol 47148-71167, Iran
4 Advanced Building and Environment Research (ABER), 99420 Weimar, Germany
5 Department of Building Physics, Bauhaus-University Weimar, 99420 Weimar, Germany
6 Institute for Nanomaterials, Advanced Technologies and Innovation, Technical University of Liberec,
461 17 Liberec, Czech Republic
7 Empa, Swiss Federal Laboratories for Materials Science and Technology, Laboratory for Biomimetic,
Membranes and Textiles, CH-9014 St. Gallen, Switzerland
8 Faculty of Engineering, Mansoura University, Mansoura 35516, Egypt
* Correspondence: [email protected]

Abstract: The Savonius wind turbine is one of the most well-known vertical axis wind turbines with
insensitivity to wind direction, flow turbulence, and high torque generation. These turbines can
extract up to 20% of the energy from the wind. This study numerically analyzes the performance
of a modified Savonius wind turbine equipped with secondary blades and slots. The k-ε standard
method is used to simulate the turbulence flow around the turbine, and the simulation is performed
Citation: Norouztabar, R.;
using the ANSYS FLUENT 18.2 commercial code. The effects of distance between the main blade
Mousavi Ajarostaghi, S.S.; Mousavi,
S.S.; Nejat, P.; Rahimian Koloor, S.S.;
and the secondary blade, position of the secondary blade, the width of the main blade’s slot, and the
Eldessouki, M. On the Performance profile of the secondary blade on the produced torque are studied and analyzed. The simulation is
of a Modified Triple Stack Blade performed at four wind velocities: 3, 4, 5, and 6 m/s. The results showed that the output torque at
Savonius Wind Turbine as a Function the secondary blade angular position β = 130 is higher than other angles. Furthermore, by increasing
of Geometrical Parameters. the radius of the additional blade from R = 25 to 43 mm, the torque is improved, and the area below
Sustainability 2022, 14, 9816. the output torque curve is increased. Moreover, the results showed that creating a slot on the main
https://doi.org/10.3390/su14169816 blade equipped with a secondary blade has a significant impact on the produced torque; however,
Academic Editors: Fabio Famoso the geometrical parameters of the proposed rotors should be adjusted accurately to find the best case
and Sebastian Brusca in terms of the produced torque.

Received: 24 May 2022

Keywords: renewable energy; vertical axis wind turbine; savonius; torque
Accepted: 31 July 2022
Published: 9 August 2022

Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral

with regard to jurisdictional claims in 1. Introduction
published maps and institutional affil-
Today, renewable energies are one of the most important sources of energy supply
iations.
and most researchers are trying to improve the performance of these systems [1]. The most
important sources of renewable energy include solar energy [2,3], geothermal energy [4,5],
wind energy [6], etc.
Copyright: © 2022 by the authors.
Wind energy is geographically extensive, simultaneously scattered and decentralized,
Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. and almost always available [7]. However, this energy source has an oscillating and
This article is an open access article intermittent nature and does not have a constant airflow [8]. Therefore, for thousands
distributed under the terms and of years, humans have used only a tiny part of it using windmills. However, due to
conditions of the Creative Commons environmental problems and climate change issues, there is a trend of reducing dependence
Attribution (CC BY) license (https:// on fossil energy resources and increasing the use of wind [9,10].
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ The wind turbine is categorized according to its central axis into (1) the horizontal
4.0/). axis wind turbine; and (2) the vertical axis wind turbine. Vertical axial wind turbines are

Sustainability 2022, 14, 9816. https://doi.org/10.3390/su14169816 https://www.mdpi.com/journal/sustainability

Sustainability 2022, 14, 9816 2 of 26

more suitable for obtaining energy at low wind speeds [11]. However, wind currents in
urban areas are always turbulent due to obstacles such as trees and high buildings and are
very different from the flow in non-urban areas. In recent studies, the rate of turbulence
has been reported to be 50 to 100 percent. Horizontal axis wind turbines do not perform
better than the vertical axis type in turbulent wind currents [12]. This turbulent flow and
constant changes in wind direction can lead to a 75% increase in horizontal axis turbine
fatigue [13]. In addition, the small turbines can be used for conditions with 25% more
load than conventional and industrial turbines [14,15]. Therefore, it is more appropriate
to use vertical axis turbines with more fatigue resistance. Especially since these types of
turbines have a lower rotational speed and produce less noise, turbulence has no significant
influence on the performance of their various models, particularly turbines that work with
drag force [16,17].
Turbine starting speed is one of the most important parameters considered in small-
scale wind turbines and can be attributed to the lower average wind speed in urban and
residential areas than in non-residential and suburban areas. The installed turbines must
be able to generate electricity at this low speed. Horizontal axis turbines are static and
motionless for about 21% of the year. Laboratory research has shown that, on average,
horizontal axis turbines can operate properly at speeds of more than 2.5 m/s [18]. The
Savonius is one of the most well-known models of vertical axis wind turbines. This type of
turbine was first introduced by a Finnish engineer named Savonius in 1929 [19]. This type
of turbine features low sensitivity to wind turbulence and high torque generation. These
turbines can extract up to 20% of the energy from the wind [20].
So far, numerous research has been conducted on the performance and simulation of
Savonius turbines. Mohammad Hadi Ali [21] conducted a laboratory study on two-blade
and three-blade vertical Savonius wind turbines. The results showed that the power and
torque coefficient in the three-blade turbine are better than in the two-blade one. Debnath
and Gupta [22] examined the Savonius wind turbines using spiral blades. Results showed
that the highest and the lowest torques correspond to the rotor angles of 60 degrees and
150 degrees, respectively. Deb and Gupta [23] examined the performance of a double-
blade vertical axis wind turbine numerically and observed that the highest static pressure
occurs at 90 and 270 degrees. Yoshida and Kawamura [24] studied the effect of rotor blade
curvature on power factors. This study showed that the greater the depth of the blade, the
better the output power factor. McTavish et al. [25] presented an advanced model of the
Savonius wind turbine. In that proposed model, the blade walls were designed to generate
additional torque by shrinking the incoming airflow. Brown and Brooks [26] also examined
power transfer due to wind to the rotor in vertical-axis turbine blades made of composite
materials [27]. This study found that the turbine rotation causes many changes in the
angle of its blade attack, which can be shown as a failure in the composite structure [27,28].
The interaction between turbine blades and wind can lead to dynamic failure, sudden
intensification, and aerodynamic loading changes on the blade. Armstrong et al. [29] also
examined the aerodynamic loading on the turbine with the vertical axis of the direct blade.
After conducting several experiments in wind tunnels and under different conditions,
they determined the constant step effect of direct sloping blades in the wind with velocity
V = 8 m/s. In other work, Armstrong and Tullis [30] evaluated a new kind of vertical axis
turbine with helical blades experimentally. Various geometrical and operational conditions
were tested and analyzed. Obtained practical results showed that canted blades presented
more output power in comparison with simple straight blades. Furthermore, aerodynamic
fences can be employed to improve the performance of the vertical axis turbine.
Chan et al. [31] optimized the blades of the Savonius wind turbine by employing
CFD and a genetic algorithm. Accordingly, they achieved the enhancement in power
coefficient by about 33% in the turbine with optimal dimensions, which belongs to the
case of a tip speed ratio (TSR) of 0.8. Ferrari et al. [32] evaluated the dynamic behavior of
the Savonius wind turbine numerically. The numerical simulations were performed by
OpenFOAM code, and the k-ω SST turbulence model was employed to model the wind
Sustainability 2022, 14, 9816 3 of 26

flow. The simulations were done for various TSRs and rotor angular speeds. According to
the obtained numerical results, the case with TSR = 0.8 and aspect ratio = 1.1 showed the
best performance. Kothe et al. [33] investigated the performance of a Savonius wind turbine
with a 180◦ twisted helical profile experimentally and numerically. Results indicated that
wind turbines with helical blades produce higher torque than non-helical ones. Accordingly,
the highest power coefficient belongs to the case of TSR = 0.65. Mauro et al. [34] evaluated
numerically the utilization of a ducted Savonius turbine for oscillating water column wave
energy converters (OWCs). The presented results showed that the proposed turbine is
very promising for this application. Bethi et al. [35] designed a Savonius wind turbine to
generate power from the gust produced by trains. The optimization method was employed
to find the best configuration and location of the proposed turbine. The obtained numerical
results showed that the proposed energy production could be a viable method to provide
the required electricity in the tunnel. In addition to the works mentioned above, some
studies evaluated the performance of the Savonius wind turbine [36,37].
According to the mentioned literature review [38,39], it can be concluded that there
is a lack of investigation into the performance of the triple-blade Savonius wind turbine.
In this study, a modified triple-blade Savonius rotor at different wind velocities of 3 to
6 m/s (according to the previous relevant works [21,40]) is considered and evaluated
comprehensively. The present work consists of five sections. In the first step, the effect of
adding a secondary blade to the main blade of the considered triple-blade wind turbine on
the produced torque is studied. The second step concentrates on the distance between the
main and secondary blades on the produced torques. Four values are considered for the
distance between the blades, including 6, 12, 18, and 24 mm. In the third step, to improve
the performance of the triple-blade Savonius wind turbine, a slot is considered and placed
on the main blade equipped with secondary blades to reduce the negative pressure behind
the blades, and the obtained numerical results are compared and presented. Next, the slot
width effect is evaluated, and four values, including 4, 8, 12, and 16 mm, are considered
for the slot’s width. The impact of the angular position of the secondary blade with the
slot was investigated in the fourth section. Five various angular positions are considered,
including 50, 70, 90, 110, and 130 degrees. In the final section, the secondary blade profile
(or radius) impact was studied numerically by considering three values for the radius of
the secondary blade with the slot, including 25, 34, and 43 mm.

2. Problem Description
In this study, the examined rotor was a modified triple-blade Savonius wind turbine.
This type of turbine is suitable for home use and the production of the required energy.
These turbines are driven by a drag force applied to a half-cylinder by the wind as a flowing
fluid [41]. The geometrical characteristics of the computational domain are given in Table 1.
Figure 1a shows a 3D schematic of a simple triple-blade Savonius turbine rotor. Ac-
cordingly, a semicircle with a diameter of 100 mm and an outer diameter of 200 mm was
used as the main rotor. Figure 1b shows the 3D schematic of a triple-blade Savonius rotor
with additional blades (or secondary blades) in which the diameter of the secondary blade
is 50 mm. Figure 1c also shows a 3D schematic of the triple-blade Savonius rotor with an
additional blade and a slot on the main blade as the modified rotor. The 2D computational
domains of each section are shown in Figure 1d.
Sustainability 2022, 14, 9816 4 of 26

Table 1. The values of geometrical parameters of the present investigated models.

Parameters Value
Length of the computational domain L 1700 mm
Width of the computational domain W 1000 mm
Inlet velocity of the wind V 3-4-5-6 m/s
The rotation angle of blades α 0-30-60-90 degrees
Angular velocity ω 16-32-44-52 rad/s
Diameter of rotating area Do 210 mm
The outer diameter of the main blades D 100 mm
The outer radius of the main blades R 50 mm
The outer radius of secondary blades r 25 mm
Thickness of blades t 1 mm
Distance between the two blades h 6-12-18-24 mm
Width of the slot d 4-8-12-16 mm

Figure 1. 3D schematic of investigated models of modified triple-blade Savonius wind turbines

including (a) simple triple-blade Savonius wind turbine, (b) triple-blade Savonius wind turbine with
the secondary blades, (c) triple-blade Savonius wind turbine with secondary blades and slots, and
(d) computational domains (2D) with geometrical parameters.
Sustainability 2022, 14, 9816 5 of 26

3. Numerical Method
The commercial CFD code, ANSYS FLUENT 18.2, is used to evaluate the performance
of the vertical axis turbine of the Savonius type numerically. For the two-dimensional
simulation of rotor rotation in a steady state, the reference model of rotational coordinates
was used. In order to simulate the rotation of the rotor in the steady state condition, the
Moving Reference Frame (MRF) [42] strategy was applied. In this solution strategy, the
control volume is divided into two sub-domains. The first sub-domain consists of the rotor
and the space around it that has a constant angular velocity proportional to the inlet wind
speed and the blade tip’s velocity. The second one is without rotational velocity and just
contains the wind velocity. The utilized boundary conditions for the 2D computational
domain are illustrated in Figure 2. In this method, the control volume is divided into three
subsets. The first set (see C section in Figure 2) includes the rotor and its surrounding
space, which has a constant rotational speed proportional to the inlet wind velocity and the
velocity of the blade tip. The second set (see B section in Figure 2) has no rotational speed
and its grid depends strongly on the C section. The third set (see A section in Figure 2)
also has no rotational speed and only has an inlet wind velocity.

Figure 2. The computational domain with boundary conditions.

4. Governing Equations
Mathematical equations can be defined as a combination of independent and de-
pendent variables and relative parameters as differential equations that govern physical
phenomena. The governing equations are presented as follows [42].

4.1. Continuity
Since this problem is studied independently of time and in a steady-state condition,
the time parameter is removed from the equations. Therefore, the continuity equation is
as follows:
∂
(ρui ) = 0 (1)
∂xi

4.2. Momentum
For the two-dimensional compressible flow, the Navier-Stokes equation is as follows:

∂ρ ∂P ∂ ∂u
ρui uj ) =− + [µ i −ρui uj ] = 0 (2)
∂xi ∂xi ∂xi ∂xj

where µ indicates molecular viscosity, P is the mean pressure and −ρ ui uj is the Reynolds
stress. Considering that this problem is solved as a turbulent flow, the k-Eturbulent model
is utilized here. The Reynolds stress is modeled for the momentum equations as follows:

∂ui ∂uj 2 ∂u
−ρui uj = µt [ + ] − δij [ρk + µt i ] (3)
∂xj ∂xi 3 ∂xi
Sustainability 2022, 14, 9816 6 of 26

where k is the turbulent kinetic energy and µt is the turbulent viscosity. To calculate the
turbulence viscosity for turbulent models such as k-E, two additional equations must be
solved. These two equations show how to calculate the turbulent kinetic energy, k, and
turbulent dissipation rate, E.
To introduce these two equations, the physics of the problem must be considered. Since
rotating physics is considered, the Standard k-ε model has been used among the turbulent
available models. In turbulent flow, rotation and circulation of the mainstream significantly
affect the behavior of the flow. The Standard k-ε model covers different applications of
turbulence flows [42]. Therefore, the equations for k and ε are as follows:

∂ ∂ ∂k
(ρ kui ) = [(αk µeff ) ] + Gk −ρε (4)
∂xj ∂xj ∂xj

∂ ∂ ∂ε ε ε2
(ρεui ) = [(αε µeff ) ] + C1ε (Gk ) − C2ε ρ (5)
∂xj ∂xj ∂xj k K
In Equations (4) and (5), the values of αε = αk = 1.393 and C2ε = 1.68. The expression
in Equations (4) and (5) is Gk = µt s2 , and S is the mean strain rate model:
q
S= Sij Sij (6)

1 ∂ui ∂ui
Sij = [ + ] (7)
2 ∂Xj ∂Xi
For more details about the employed turbulence model, please refer to the relevant
works [43,44].

5. Results and Discussion

5.1. Grid Independence and Validation Analyses
Due to the importance of the fluid flow around the blades, the generated grid near the
blades is smaller compared to other parts, and the governing equations can be solved more
accurately. Due to the complexity of the geometry, triangular-type cells were generated here.
The picture of the generated grids around the blades for each investigated computational
domain is shown in Figure 3. The results of the grid-independency analysis are shown in
Figure 4, and the produced torque is the control parameter. Four grids are considered here.
According to Figure 4, it can be seen that the differences between the obtained results
for the third and fourth grids are not significant. So, to reduce the computational time, the
third grid with 195,319 cells is used as the appropriate grid for numerical analysis.
The results of the experimental work of Ali [21] are used to validate the numerical
model. The static torques coefficient values (as a dimensionless parameter) and torque val-
ues for the simple triple-blade Savonius rotor obtained in the wind tunnel at VWind = 5 m/s
for different angles of attack in the laboratory are shown and compared with the presented
numerical results in Figure 5.
The obtained results and the differences (errors) are listed in Table 2. Accordingly, the
maximum error is 1.7%, showing the accuracy of the presented numerical method here.
Moreover, Table 2 depicts that the errors for both parameters are positive and negative values
because of possible numerical errors and possible low accuracy of the experimental setup.
Sustainability 2022, 14, 9816 7 of 26

Figure 3. The generated grids for various studied cases.

Figure 4. Results of the grid-independency analysis at VWind = 5 m/s.

As previously mentioned, in this study, a numerical analysis was performed on a

two-dimensional model of the Savonius turbine equipped with a secondary blade and a
slot on the main blade exactly behind the center of the secondary blade. At first, a simple
triple-blade wind turbine Savonius rotor at different wind velocities of 3 to 6 m/s was
examined. The simple triple-blade rotor output torque curve at various wind velocities of
Sustainability 2022, 14, 9816 8 of 26

3 to 6 m/s is shown in Figure 6. Obtained numerical results show that as the wind velocity
increases, the output torque improves.

Figure 5. Results of the validation analysis and comparison between the present numerical results
and experimental results of Ali’s work [21] at VWind = 5 m/s; (a) static torque coefficient value and
(b) torque value.

Figure 6. Simple triple-blade rotor output torque curve at various wind velocities.
Sustainability 2022, 14, 9816 9 of 26

Table 2. The torque values and static torque coefficient values of the experimental work [21] and the
present study.

Cts Ts
Angle of Cts Error Ts Error
Experimental Experimental
Attack (α) Numerical [%] Numerical [%]
[21] [21]
0 degree 0.18 0.1805 0.2 0.0108 0.0107 −0.9
30 degrees 0.48 0.4827 0.5 0.0285 0.0286 0.3
60 degrees 0.55 0.5451 −0.8 0.0326 0.0323 −0.9
90 degrees 0.22 0.2161 −1.7 0.013 0.0128 −1.5

To realize better the behavior of the airflow around the simple triple-blade rotor, the
velocity contours and velocity vectors at various angles of attack are demonstrated in
Figure 7. The generated swirl flows around the rotors can be seen clearly for different
angles of attack, which affect the amount of produced torque significantly.

Figure 7. The velocity contours and velocity vector of the simple triple-blade rotor at wind velocity
of 5 m/s for (a) α = 0 degrees, (b) α = 30 degrees, (c) α = 60 degrees, and (d) α = 90 degrees.
Sustainability 2022, 14, 9816 10 of 26

5.2. Impact of Adding Secondary Blades to the Main Blades

In this section, the effect of adding secondary blades to the main blades on the pro-
duced torque is examined numerically. Four various wind velocities, including 3, 4, 5, and
6 m/s, are considered and analyzed. The produced torque profiles versus different angles
of attack for the case with secondary blades are shown in Figure 8.

Figure 8. The produced torque versus various angles of attack for the case with secondary blades at
h = 6 mm.

By comparing the results of Figure 8 (the case with secondary blades) with the results
of Figure 7 (the case without secondary blades), it can be concluded that adding secondary
blades leads to significant growth in the produced torque by the rotors. For instance, it
can be seen that at the wind velocity of 6 m/s, the maximum produced torque in the
case with secondary blades is about 200% more than the case without secondary blades.
In addition, to realize better the impact of adding secondary blades on the fluid flow
around the turbine’s rotors, the contours of velocity magnitude and pressure are depicted
in Figure 9 for various models at V = 5 m/s and h = 6 mm. Accordingly, it can be seen
that adding secondary blades causes more velocity magnitude and swirl flows around the
rotors, and consequently more torque can be produced around the proposed rotors.

5.3. Impact of the Distance between the Main and Secondary Blades
In this section, the effect of the distance between the main and secondary (additional)
blades on the produced torque is investigated. Four various distances, including 6, 12,
18, and 24 mm, are considered and analyzed. The present study evaluates the amount of
production torque at different distances of h = 6, 12, 18, and 24 mm at a constant wind
velocity of 5 m/s. Figure 10 shows the production torque curve versus the various angles
of attack for various models. According to the display of the output torque curve shown
in Figure 10, it can be concluded that at an angle of zero degrees, the highest torque is
observed at the distance of h = 6 mm. At an angle of 60 degrees, the maximum torque is
produced when the distance is 24 mm. At a 90-degree angle of attack, the maximum torque
is achieved when the distance is 18 mm. Finally, the area below the curve diagram shows
that by creating a distance of 6 mm, the maximum output torque (and consequently power)
is produced for all angles.
Sustainability 2022, 14, 9816 11 of 26

Figure 9. Contours of velocity magnitude and pressure for two different cases and various angles of
attack at V = 5 m/s and h = 6 mm.
Sustainability 2022, 14, 9816 12 of 26

Figure 10. Influence of the slot between the main and additional (secondary) blades (h) on the
produced torque at a constant wind velocity of 5 m/s.

The velocity and pressure contours are shown in Figure 11. Accordingly, it can be
seen that as the distance between the main and additional blades increases, the velocity
magnitude between the main and additional blades decreases. Moreover, the vortex and
rotational flows behind the secondary blades produce negative torque. The shorter the
distance, the more negative is the pressure gradient obtained and consequently more fluid
flows upon the blades, illustrated by pressure contours in Figure 11 in which the amount of
pressure gradient is well represented.
The output torque curve of the simple Savonius turbine is compared with the Savonius
rotor with an additional blade (as secondary blades) at a distance of h = 6 mm from the
main blade at four wind velocities of VWind = 3, 4, 5, and 6 m/s (Figure 12). The addition of
a blade within the turbine rotor increases the area under the output torque diagram, and
consequently, produced power (torque). This performance improvement was achieved
at all four studied wind velocities. At VWind = 3 m/s and an angle of zero degrees, the
output torque improved by about 66%. At a 30-degree angle, the output torque improves
by about 70%. At 60 degrees, the torque decreases by about 47%. At a 90-degree angle
with the added blade, the torque increases from 0.001 to 0.0462. At a wind velocity of
VWind = 4 m/s and an angle of zero degrees, the torque rises from about 0.0048 to 0.055.
Output torque improvement percentages of 29%, 5.0%, and 320% are obtained at an angle
of 30 degrees, 60 degrees, and 90 degrees, respectively. At a wind velocity of VWind = 5 m/s
and an angle of zero degrees, the output torque increased from about 0.009 to 0.088, and
at an angle of 30 degrees, an improvement of about 33% was achieved. However, at a
60-degree angle, the values vary, and with the secondary blade, the output torque decreases
by almost 125%. For a 90-degree angle, nearly 550 percent improvement was achieved.
Additional torque increased by about ten times at a wind velocity of VWind = 6 m/s and an
angle of zero degrees. At an angle of 30 degrees, the output torque improved by about 17%.
The result was reversed at an angle of 60 degrees, and the torque was reduced by about
71%. At a 90-degree angle, about 98% improvement was seen in the output torque.
Sustainability 2022, 14, 9816 13 of 26

Figure 11. Contours of velocity magnitude and pressure for various models at V = 5 m/s and α = 90 degrees.
Sustainability 2022, 14, 9816 14 of 26

Figure 12. The produced torque versus different angles of attack for the cases with and without
secondary blades at (a) VWind = 3 m/s, (b) VWind = 4 m/s, (c) VWind = 5 m/s, and (d) VWind = 6 m/s;
h = 6 mm.

5.4. Impact of Adding Secondary Blades with Slots in the Centerline of the Main Blades
In the present section, the influence of the slot in the secondary blade on produced
torque is studied and analyzed. This slot has two functions; first, it avoids the negative
torque caused by the clash of reverse flows from the outer blade to the inner one. Second,
due to the negative pressure existing behind the blade, the flow sinks into the slot and
induces an extra torque. The outer blade’s slot width d and the intervals between blades h
are the factors that influence the rotor’s torque output. The width of slot d is the studied
parameter here. Accordingly, four different widths of the main blade’s slot, including
d = 4, 8, 12, and 16 mm, are considered. Furthermore, the simulations are performed for four
different wind velocities, including VWind = 3, 4, 5, and 6 m/s. Furthermore, the produced
torque versus various models and wind velocities are depicted in Figure 13. Accordingly,
it can be seen that among the range of the considered wind velocities VWind = 3–6 m/s, the
maximum produced torque of case VWind = 6 m/s is the highest in all studied cases and
the lowest one belongs to VWind = 3 m/s. Contours of velocity magnitude and pressure
for two different cases including with and without slots and various angles of attack at
VWind = 5 m/s, h = 6 mm, and d = 16 mm are illustrated in Figure 14.
Sustainability 2022, 14, 9816 15 of 26

Figure 13. The produced torque versus different angle of attack for various cases at (a) V = 3 m/s,
(b) V = 4 m/s, (c) V = 5 m/s, and (d) V = 6 m/s; h = 6 mm and d = 16 mm.

Figure 14. Cont.

Sustainability 2022, 14, 9816 16 of 26

Figure 14. Contours of velocity magnitude and pressure for two different cases including with and
without slots and various angles of attack at V = 5 m/s, h = 6 mm, and d = 16 mm.

Figure 14 shows that because of increasing the contraction area between the blades
and wind flows, and also the contraction of the flow between the two blades (main and
secondary ones), the pressure increases, and as a result, the produced torque rises as well.
Actually, the existence of this slot brings with it several functions. First, the fluid flow
entering the back of the main blade is associated with some return flows. These reverse
flows hit the back of the secondary blade, producing negative torque. Second, this slot
partially prevents the return flow and thus the production of negative torque. Third, the
current entering the back of the inner blade is pulled into the slot created by the pressure
behind the blade on the main blade, creating an additional torque. Fourth, the width of the
slot can have a significant effect on the output. Therefore, 4, 8, 12, and 16 mm were studied
for different slot widths d. Figure 15 displays the effect of the width of the slot on the
output torque for different values of d = 4, 8, 12, and 16 mm and various wind velocities.
Figure 15 illustrates that for all considered widths of the slot, growth in the wind
velocity leads to an augmentation in the produced torque. The profiles of the produced
torque versus the angle of attack for various slot widths and different wind velocities are
presented in Figure 16.
Sustainability 2022, 14, 9816 17 of 26

Figure 15. The produced torque versus different angles of attack and wind velocities for (a) d = 4 mm,
(b) d = 8 mm, (c) d = 12 mm, and (d) d = 16 mm at h = 6 mm.

Figure 16. Cont.

Sustainability 2022, 14, 9816 18 of 26

Figure 16. Torque curve: The effect of slot’s width on the output torque of Savinus turbine equipped with
secondary blades and slots on the main blades; (a) VWind = 3 m/s, (b) VWind = 4 m/s, (c) VWind = 5 m/s,
and (d) VWind = 6 m/s.

According to Figure 16, the output torque values were improved by increasing the
slot’s width from d = 4 mm to d = 16 mm at an angle of 90 degrees. The results show that
the maximum output torque is obtained if the slot’s width value is equal to d = 16 mm.

5.5. Impact of the Angular Position (β) of the Secondary Blades and Slots
In the present section, the influence of the secondary blades and slots’ angular position
on produced torque is studied and analyzed. The studied geometry of the computational
domain here with various angular position angles β of the secondary blades and slots
at h = 6 mm and d = 4 mm is illustrated in Figure 17. Accordingly, five different slots
and secondary blades’ angular positions, including β = 50, 70, 90, 110, and 130 degrees,
are considered here. Furthermore, the simulations are performed for four different wind
velocities, including 3, 4, 5, and 6 m/s. It is worth mentioning that in all considered
cases, the slots are placed exactly behind the centerline of the secondary blades in any
angular position.

Figure 17. Studied geometry of the computational domain with various profiles of the secondary
blade (angular position) at h = 6 mm and d = 4 mm.
Sustainability 2022, 14, 9816 19 of 26

Furthermore, the produced torque versus various models and wind velocities are
depicted in Figure 18. Accordingly, it can be seen that the maximum produced torque
in the case β = 130 degrees is the highest for all studied wind velocities, and the lowest
one belongs to the cases β = 50 and 90 degrees with low differences in all studied wind
velocities. Figure 18a shows that at VWind = 3 m/s, as the slots and secondary blade
angular position (β) increase from 50 to 130 degrees (160% growth), the maximum and
minimum produced torques belong to cases β = 130 degrees (at α = 90 degrees) and
β = 90 degrees (at α = 90 degrees), respectively. In addition, at Vwind = 3 m/s, the maximum
produced torque in the case β = 130 degrees is 42.11 and 107.7% more than the maximum
produced torques in cases β = 110 and 70 degrees, respectively. Furthermore, according to
Figure 18b, at Vwind = 4 m/s, by increasing the secondary blade’s angular position by 160%
from β = 50 degrees, the cases β = 130 degrees (at α = 90 degrees) and β = 90 degrees (at
α = 30 degrees) show the highest and lowest produced torques, respectively. At Vwind = 4 m/s,
the maximum produced torque in case β = 130 degrees is 350 and 260% more than the
maximum produced torques in cases β = 110 and 70 degrees, respectively (Figure 18b). In
addition, at Vwind = 5 m/s, 160% growth in the slots and secondary blade’s angular position
(β = 50 to 130 degrees) cause the cases β = 130 degrees (at α = 0 degree) and β = 90 degrees
(at α = 90 degrees) to present maximum and minimum produced torques, respectively.
Moreover, at Vwind = 5 m/s, the maximum produced torque in the case β = 130 degrees is
86.67 and 600% more than the maximum produced torques in cases β = 70 and 110 degrees,
respectively (Figure 18c). In addition, at Vwind = 6 m/s, 160% growth in the secondary
blade’s angular position (β = 50 to 130 degrees) causes the cases β = 130 degrees (at
α = 90 degrees) and β = 90 degrees (at α = 90 degrees) to present maximum and minimum
produced torques, respectively, Moreover, at Vwind = 6 m/s, the maximum produced torque
in the case β = 130 degrees is 525% more than the maximum produced torques in the case
β = 70 degrees and the difference between cases β = 70 and 110 degrees is very minor
(Figure 18d).

Figure 18. Cont.

Sustainability 2022, 14, 9816 20 of 26

Figure 18. The produced torque versus different angles of attack for various secondary blade angular
positions at (a) V = 3 m/s, (b) V = 4 m/s, (c) V = 5 m/s, and (d) V = 6 m/s; h = 6 mm, and d = 4 mm.

To realize better the influence of the slots and secondary blade’s angular position β on
fluid flow and pressure distribution, the contours of velocity magnitude and pressure are
shown in Figure 19. Accordingly, it can be seen that by increasing the slots and secondary
blade’s angular position (160% growth from β = 50 to 130 degrees), the fluid confinement
area between the main and secondary blades increases, which leads to augmentation in
the velocity magnitude (larger red region in the case β = 130 degrees in comparison with
the case β = 90 degrees), and consequently, more torque can be produced. Furthermore,
according to pressure contours, it is shown that in the case of β = 130 degrees, the blue
region with negative pressure is larger than in the case β = 90 degrees, meaning that the
pressure differences between the two sides of the main blades become more significant and
lead to more produced torque.

5.6. Impact of the Secondary Blade’s Profile (Secondary Blade’s Radius (R))
In the present section, the influence of the secondary blade’s profile on produced
torque is investigated and analyzed. The studied geometry of the computational domain
with various profiles of the secondary blade at β = 90 degrees, h = 6 mm, and d = 4 mm is
illustrated in Figure 20. Accordingly, three different values for parameter R as the secondary
blade’s radius, including R = 25, 34, and 43 mm, are considered here. The simulations are
performed for four different wind velocities, including 3, 4, 5, and 6 m/s. The produced
torque versus various models and wind velocities are depicted in Figure 21.
Figure 21a shows that at VWind = 3 m/s, as the secondary blade’s radius increases from
R = 25 to 43 mm (72% growth), the maximum and minimum produced torques belong to
cases R = 43 mm (at α = 0 degree) and R = 25 mm (at α = 90 degrees), respectively. Moreover,
at VWind = 3 m/s, the maximum produced torque of case R = 43 mm is 1863 and 137.3%
more than the maximum produced torques at R = 25 and 34 mm, respectively. Furthermore,
according to Figure 21b, at Vwind = 4 m/s, increasing the secondary blade’s radius by
72% from the cases R = 43 mm (at α = 90 degrees) and R = 25 mm (at α = 30 degrees)
show the highest and lowest produced torques, respectively. Thus, at VWind = 4 m/s, the
maximum produced torque in case R = 43 mm is 416.6 and 23.17% more than the maximum
produced torques in cases R = 25 and 34 mm, respectively (Figure 21b). Furthermore,
at VWind = 5 m/s, 72% growth in the secondary blade’s radius (R = 25 to 43 mm) causes
the cases R = 43 mm (at α = 0 degree) and R = 25 mm (at α = 60 degrees) to present
Sustainability 2022, 14, 9816 21 of 26

maximum and minimum produced torques, respectively, Moreover, at VWind = 5 m/s, the
maximum produced torque of case R = 43 mm is 384.61 and 45% more than the maximum
produced torques of cases R = 25 and 34 mm, respectively (Figure 21c). Furthermore, at
VWind = 6 m/s, 72% growth in the secondary blade’s radius (R = 25 to 43 mm) causes the
cases R = 43 mm (at α = 0 degree) and R = 25 mm (at α = 60 degrees) to present maximum
and minimum produced torques, respectively, Moreover, at VWind = 6 m/s, the maximum
produced torque in case R = 43 mm is 384.61 and 45% more than the maximum produced
torques of cases R = 25 and 34 mm, respectively (Figure 21d).

Figure 19. Contours of velocity magnitude and pressure for two different angular positions of the
secondary blades and slots and various angles of attack at V = 5 m/s, h = 6 mm, and d = 4 mm.
Sustainability 2022, 14, 9816 22 of 26

Figure 20. Studied geometry of the computational domain with various profiles of the secondary
blades at β = 90 degrees, h = 6 mm, and d = 4 mm.

Figure 21. The produced torque versus different angles of attack for various secondary blade radiuses
(R) at (a) V = 3 m/s, (b) V = 4 m/s, (c) V = 5 m/s, and (d) V = 6 m/s; h = 6 mm and d = 4 mm.

To realize better the effect of the secondary blade’s radius on the fluid flow and
pressure distribution, the contours of velocity magnitude and pressure are shown in
Figure 22. Accordingly, it can be seen that by increasing the secondary blade radius (here
72% from 25 to 43 mm), the fluid confinement area between the main and secondary blades
Sustainability 2022, 14, 9816 23 of 26

increases, which leads to augmentation in the velocity magnitude (larger red region in case
R = 43 mm in comparison with case R = 25 mm). Consequently, more torque can be produced.
Furthermore, according to pressure contours, it is shown that in the case of R = 43 mm, the
blue region with negative pressure is larger than in the case R = 25 mm, which means that the
pressure differences between the two sides of the main blades become more and lead to more
produced torque.

Figure 22. Contours of velocity magnitude and pressure for two different secondary blade’s radiuses
and various angles of attack at V = 5 m/s, h = 6 mm, and d = 4 mm.
Sustainability 2022, 14, 9816 24 of 26

6. Conclusions and Future Scope

In this study, a numerical analysis was performed on the two-dimensional model of
the vertical turbine of the triple-blade Savonius vertical axis equipped with additional
blades. Numerical simulation was applied by the commercial code ANSYS FLUENT. The
reference model of rotational coordinates was used to analyze the flow turbulence of the
k-ε standard turbulent model and simulate the two-dimensional rotor rotation in the steady
state. Furthermore, the effect of the position (distance) of the main blade and the secondary
blade and the wind velocity on the performance of the triple-blade Savonius turbine was
analyzed and evaluated. The following results were obtained:
• A 50 mm-diameter simple triple-blade Savonius turbine with a wind velocity of 5 m/s
was tested at various wind velocities of 3, 4, and 6 m/s. The results show that as the
wind velocity increases, the output torque improves.
• For a wind velocity of 5 m/s, the maximum output torque, unlike the simple triple-
blade Savonius rotor obtained at 30 and 60 degrees, was obtained at zero and
90 degrees. Furthermore, the results showed that the best performance of the turbine
was achieved when the secondary blade was located at a distance of 6 mm.
• The output torque curve and the numerical results show that the area below the
output torque diagram increased and turbine performance was enhanced despite the
secondary blade. For example, at a velocity of 5 m/s and an angle of zero degrees, the
output torque increased from about 0.009 to 0.088 Nm, and at an angle of 30 degrees,
an improvement of about 33% was achieved. However, at 60 degrees, the values are
different, and despite the secondary blade, the output torque decreases by nearly 125%.
For a 90-degree angle, about 550% improvement was achieved.
• Due to the best position and the distance between the main and the auxiliary blade,
which is equal to 6 mm, the effects of a slot on the main blade with different values of
d = 4, 8, 12, and 16 mm to varying velocities of 3 to 6 m/s were investigated. The
results showed that with increasing the width of the slot on the main blade from
d = 4 mm to 16 mm, the output torque also increased. However, this increase has a
positive effect only at a 90-degree angle.
• The best output torque curve is related to the effect of creating a slot on the main blade
with a slot width of 16 mm and at different wind velocities of 3 to 6 m/s; a simple
triple-blade Savonius rotor and a triple-blade Savonius rotor with the secondary blade
were compared at four angles. The results showed that by creating a slot on the main
blade, the surface below the output torque diagram is not improved, and creating a
slot on the main blade reduces the performance of the turbine rotor.
• The output torque at the angle β = 130 degrees is higher than other angles. After that,
the maximum torque is obtained at angles of β = 110 degrees, β = 70 degrees, and
β = 50 degrees, respectively.
• By increasing the radius of the additional blade from R = 25 mm to 43 mm, the torque
is improved, and the area below the output torque curve is increased.
Although this study has provided new insight into the flow characteristics around a
new proposed design for triple stack blade Savonius wind turbines, additional research is
needed in order to demonstrate the viability of this design in more realistic engineering
situations by the development of an experimental prototype.

Author Contributions: Conceptualization, R.N., S.S.M.A. and S.S.M.; Data curation, R.N., S.S.M.A.
and S.S.M.; Formal analysis, R.N., S.S.M.A., P.N., S.S.R.K. and M.E.; Funding acquisition, M.E.;
Investigation, R.N., S.S.M.A. and S.S.M.; Methodology, R.N., S.S.M.A., S.S.M., S.S.R.K. and M.E.;
Project administration, S.S.M.A., P.N., S.S.R.K. and M.E.; Resources, S.S.R.K. and M.E.; Software, R.N.;
Supervision, S.S.M.A.; Validation, R.N., S.S.M.A., S.S.M., P.N., S.S.R.K. and M.E.; Visualization, S.S.M.,
P.N., S.S.R.K. and M.E.; Writing—original draft, R.N. and S.S.M.A.; Writing—review & editing, R.N.,
S.S.M.A., S.S.M., P.N., S.S.R.K. and M.E. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of
the manuscript.
Sustainability 2022, 14, 9816 25 of 26

Funding: This research was partially funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and
Innovation Programme under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant agreement No 834966.
Institutional Review Board Statement: Not applicable.
Informed Consent Statement: Not applicable.
Data Availability Statement: Data available on request due to restrictions eg privacy or ethical.
Acknowledgments: The authors acknowledge funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Re-
search and Innovation Programme under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant agreement
No. 834966.
Conflicts of Interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest.

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