Performance Prediction and Demonstration of a Miniature Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine

Abstract

A miniature wind turbine (MWT) has received great attention recently for powering low-power devices. In this paper, a physics-based comprehensive model for predicting the performance of a miniature horizontal axis wind turbine (MHAWT) was established. The turbine rotor performance was investigated and an approximation of the power coefficient of the turbine rotor was made. Incorporation of the approximation with the equivalent circuit model, which was proposed in accordance with the principles of the MHAWT, in addition to its overall system performance versus the resistive load and ambient wind speed, was predicted. To demonstrate predictive modeling capability, the MHAWT system comprised of commercially available off-the-shelf components was designed and its performance was experimentally tested. The results matched well with those by prediction modeling, which implies that the proposed model holds promise in estimating and optimizing the performance of the MWT.