Design and Development of a Small-Scale Composite Vertical-Axis Wind Turbine

Pakistan faces persistent energy shortages, largely due to its heavy reliance on fossil fuels, which leads to environmental degradation and economic constraints. This work presents the design, fabrication, and testing of a small-scale, low-cost vertical-axis wind turbine (VAWT) suitable for both urban and rural installations. The turbine utilizes a H-Darrieus configuration with three blades, employing a NACA 0021 symmetric airfoil, which is optimized for operation at low wind speeds. Blades were manufactured using glass fiber-reinforced plastics (GFRP) with a pharma core, achieving a high stiffness-to-weight ratio. An axial flux generator with a double-rotor, single-stator design was integrated for electrical generation. Designed for a wind speed of 8 m/s, the turbine achieved a torque of 14.5 Nm and mechanical power output of 257 W, corresponding to a power coefficient of 0.40. Accounting for generator efficiency (90%), the effective coefficient of performance was 0.36. Mechanical testing validated the structural integrity of the composite blades, while experimental runs confirmed reliable performance across varying wind speeds and angles of attack. The complete prototype cost approximately PKR 30,000 and weighed 20.3 kg, demonstrating the feasibility of localized, small-scale wind energy solutions for Pakistan.