Comparison of acrylic and zinc blade materials on the performance of Darrieus vertical axis wind turbine

Abstract

The performance of vertical axis wind turbine is strongly influenced by blade characteristics, yet the effect of blade material on turbine performance remains relatively underexplored, particularly for small scale Darrieus type turbines. This study experimentally investigated the influence of acrylic and zinc blade materials on the aerodynamics and energy conversion performance of a three bladed Darrieus vertical axis wind Turbine. A laboratory-scale experimental setup was employed to evaluated turbine rotational speed, torque, and electrical power under a controlled wind speed of 4.3 m/s. The results demonstrate the blade material significantly affects the turbine’s ability to extract and convert wind energy. The acrylic blade turbine achieved a power coefficient (Cp) of 0.293 and an overall conversion efficiency 62.81%, compared with 0.208 and 47.11%, respectively, for the zinc bladed turbine. The acrylic configuration therefore provided approximately 25% higher overall performance than zinc configuration. These findings experimentally validate the importance of blade material selection in the design of small scale Darrieus wind turbines and indicate that acrylic can provide a more effective alternative to zinc for improving wind energy conversion under low speed operating conditions. The results provide practical guidance for material selection in the development of lightweight, low speed vertical axis turbines for decentralized and small scale renewable energy applications.