Optimization design of wind turbine propeller using PVC pipe material with elbow tip accessories

PVC or Polyvinyl Chloride is a thermoplastic polymer, cheap, and can be used to make pipes and fittings. PVC pipes can be used to make low-power wind turbine blades. PVC pipes have good mechanical properties, including impact strength, high flexibility, vibration resistance, and hydrostatic pressure. To modify the pipe into a wind turbine blade that is strong against loads and has torsional resistance, an efficient design and manufacturing method is needed. In the blade design, an aerodynamic analysis is also carried out to obtain maximum energy from the wind turbine which is the result of the blade design performance. The goal is to find a way to build a turbine blade using PVC pipe and the best aerodynamic behavior of the fluid around the turbine rotor. This research is based on the CFD simulation method and experimental studies using a wind tunnel. Based on the results of the ANSYS CFD simulation at the elbow end of the PVC pipe turbine blade with an angle of attack of 15° and 30°, it can increase the torque by about 200 % compared to without the elbow end. CFD simulation was conducted to test the load on the PVC pipe blade with wind speeds of 5 m/s, 6 m/s, and 7 m/s, and angle tip widths of 100 mm, 110 mm, and 130 mm. The torque generated by the turbine is influenced by the width of the elbow tip, where the maximum torque is achieved by an elbow tip width of 110 mm. Based on the optimization results, the turbine can produce the best torque performance with the lowest stress generated from the load. The results of the von Mises stress analysis show that the stress that occurs on the turbine blade is the lowest, making it the safest and most reliable design. The results of the torque analysis show that the addition of an elbow tip can increase the torque on the turbine blade