Design and Analysis of Vertical Axis Wind Turbine Blades for Mini Power Generation

This study presents the design and performance analysis of a Savonius-type Vertical Axis Wind Turbine(VAWT) optimized for decentralized mini power generation in urban settings, such as powering trafficsignals. Designed to deliver approximately 1 kW of electricity at low wind speeds (2 m/s), the turbinecapitalizes on the Savonius configuration’s advantages—omnidirectional operation, self-starting ability,and efficiency in turbulent wind conditions. A structured Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) wasemployed to evaluate five blade materials across nine mechanical and thermal criteria, identifying AISI422 stainless steel as the optimal choice. Blade modeling in CATIA V5, followed by aerodynamic andstructural simulations in ANSYS Fluent and Mechanical, confirmed the design's aerodynamic efficacy andstructural integrity. The results validate the turbine’s feasibility for urban energy harvesting, with futureenhancements suggested through solar integration, IoT-based monitoring, and advanced materials forscalability and efficiency.