Experiment and Performance Evaluation of a New Vertical-axis Spiral Rotor

To evaluate the performance parameter of a new vertical-axis spiral wind rotor with two end plates and a middle plate, an experiment was carried out by using a low-speed circulation wind tunnel. The tested rotor has a height of 400 mm and rotor diameter of 136 mm. Under two conditions of with and without central shaft, no-load rotation speed, static torque coefficient and power output at different air velocities were measured. The results indicate that the tested rotor has good and stable operation property. The static torque coefficient under condition of with central shaft is more satisfying than that under condition of without central shaft. When air velocity ranges from 10 m/s to 15 m/s, wind energy utilization ratio distributes smoothly with comparatively high values under the condition of with central shaft.