Vertical Axis Wind Turbine

grabcad

Solidworks 2014; KeyShot 5. Vertical-axis wind turbines (VAWTs) feature a rotor shaft perpendicular to the wind, with main components at the base of the turbine. This design allows for easy ground-level access to the generator and gearbox. Unlike horizontal turbines, VAWTs don't require wind alignment or orientation mechanisms. However, early designs (Savonius, Darrieus, and giro-mill) faced challenges such as torque ripple and high bending moments on blades, which were later resolved by helical blade sweeping in newer models.