Summary Reader Response Draft 4

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According to the article, “Possible to dramatically increase power density in wind farms with SeaTwirl’s vertical axis turbines,'' published on Seatwirl by Johansson (2022), in wind farm designs, Vertical Axis Wind Turbines (VAWTs) outperformed Horizontal Axis Wind Turbines (HAWTs) with their power density, faster wake recovery and a better turbulence intensity. SeaTwirl enlisted Dr. Pablo Ouro from the University of Manchester to conduct research on the optimal wind farm configuration of 25 turbines of 10 MW each arranged in five rows (Johansson, 2022).  They found out that slender VAWTs are able to reach the power density 19 MW/km2, better than the 2.65 MW/km2 of typical HAWT setups (Johansson, 2022). The offshore VAWT has wind blades attached to the turbine body, an energy converter, a buoyant turbine body consisting of a buoyancy-providing and ballast portion, and a water movement-based braking arrangement (Ehrnberg, 2020). Functionally, the energy converter converts kinetic and potential energy caught by the VAWT’s wind blades to electrical energy (Ehrnberg, 2020). The webpage, “What is vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT) and how does it work?” by Luvside (2020) states that it generates electricity by using wind energy through rotor rotation, converted into electrical power by a connected generator which makes it a renewable energy source.

Vertical-axis wind turbines (VAWTs) provide sustainable and environmentally friendly energy sources and are able to reduce Singapore’s reliance on oil.

VAWTs generate power from wind and are free from greenhouse gasses and fossil fuels, making it a sustainable and clean source (Kumar., et al, 2018). VAWTs commence generating power even when wind speeds are low, and they're capable of producing electricity from wind blowing in any direction (Kumar., et al, 2018). Power is able to be transmitted through wind in every direction at a very low speed. An article "The Impact of VAWT on the Environment" by Yang (2023), said that no fuels and emissions are released during wind-powered electricity generation, making Vertical Axis Wind Turbines (VAWT) an eco-friendly option. Hence, VAWT is an environmentally friendly source as it does not require any fuels and emits no emissions.

As mentioned by Yang (2023), VAWTs can reduce noise pollution, perform better than HAWTs, and are an environmentally friendly solution due to their ability to adapt to environmental conditions. According to an article titled “HAWT vs. VAWT” written by Gardiner(2011), VAWT is said to perform best in high wind conditions, making it suitable for rooftop and urban installations. The vibration and noise are reduced due to the reduced speed (Gardiner, 2011). VAWT manufacturers report noise levels below 40 decibels at a distance of 20 feet/6 meters, while some HAWT manufacturers regularly report noise levels of 50 to 60 decibels or more at longer distances (Gardiner, 2011). Vertical axis wind turbines can therefore be deployed in urban areas where wind speed and noise are issues for example, it is suitable in  Singapore which is a small city area.

Although VAWTs are quite advantageous in terms of noise levels and their ability to adjust to different wind conditions, there are certain possible disadvantages that come with their extensive use.

Some people think that compared to horizontal axis wind turbines, vertical axis wind turbines may have more difficulties starting consistently at low wind speeds and have lower power generation efficiency. According to the reports written by Mohammed, Ibrahim, and Iliyasu, Dang (2009) and Gu (2020) mentioned that higher efficiency, more than 70%, of HAWT makes it perform better than VAWT. In contrast, VAWT is usually 50–60% less efficient than HAWT.

Dang and Gu noted that drag degrades efficiency of VAWTs, restricting its power. This means that only a portion of the blades are effective hence power generation efficiency is much lower compared to HAWTs. Apart from that, VAWTs are lower from the ground as compared to HAWTs which results in reduced output of energy.

Therefore, VAWT is a good option for reducing dependence on oil and making a viable and environmentally acceptable substitute for energy in Singapore. It can successfully generate electricity using low speed wind and is efficient for handling various kinds of wind streams. These are very silent for urban implementation. Nevertheless, some people argue that VAWTs may not be as efficient as HAWTs which absorb more wind and rotate faster. VAWTs, however, are more suited to Singapore's urban environment with the limited land space and also lesser noise pollution.



 

 

Reference

Johansson, A. (2022, September 20). White paper: Possible to dramatically increase power density in wind farms with SeaTwirl’s vertaical axis turbines. SeaTwirl. https://seatwirl.com/news/white-paper-possible-to-dramatically-increase-power-density-in-wind-farms-with-seatwirls-vertical-axis-turbines/                        

 

Luvside (2020, March 31). What is vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT) and how does it work?. Luvside. https://www.luvside.de/en/what-is-vawt/#:~:text=They%20produce%20electricity%20by%20utilizing,the%20mechanical%20energy%20into%20electricity.                           

 

Ehrnberg, D. (2020). Floating wind energy harvesting apparatus with braking arrangement, and a method of controlling a rotational speed of the apparatus (U.S. Patent No. 10,662,926). U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. https://image-ppubs.uspto.gov/dirsearch-public/print/downloadPdf/10662926 

 

Gardiner, G. (2011, January 1). HAWTs vs. VAWTs. Composite World. https://www.compositesworld.com/articles/hawts-vs-vawts                

 

Kumar, R. Raahemifar, K. Fung, A. (2018, June). A critical review of vertical axis wind turbines for urban applications. Science Direct.           

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1364032118301254?casa_token=gNnV2DcYy3kAAAAA:3VUf8RTvsSx4p01apHHYYTYpFCB6UDrd4uBBAKRA34dfkWFuOybb-HJcxGjplhs1WYgRGo79XBU#s0020                                   

 

Yang, J. (2023, February 4). The Impact of Vertical Axis Wind Turbines on the Environment. fritzenergy

https://fritzenergy.com/impact-of-vertical-axis-wind-turbines-on-environment/            

 

Mohammed, A. Ibrahim, J. Iliyasu, O. (n.d.). Comparative Study of Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine (HAWT) and Vertical Axis Wind Turbine (VAWT)

https://www.ajol.info/index.php/hpjsmt/article/view/245228/231976

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