Aerodynamic performance of an Archimedes spiral wind turbine at low wind speeds: A computational fluid dynamics study of blade angle variations
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Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Syiah Kuala, Jl. Syech Abdurrauf No. 7, Darussalam, Banda Aceh 23111, Indonesia
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Autor do korespondencji
Sarwo Edhy Sofyan
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Syiah Kuala, Jl. Syech Abdurrauf No. 7, Darussalam, Banda Aceh 23111, Indonesia
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This study addresses the optimization of small-scale renewable energy systems for low-wind environments, aiming to improve wind energy utilization efficiency in regions with limited wind resources such as Indonesia. The aerodynamic performance of an Archimedes Spiral Wind Turbine (ASWT) was numerically investigated using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) under varying blade inclination angles (30°, 35°, 40°, 45°, 50°, and 60°) at a constant wind speed of 5 m/s. The simulations were performed based on the Navier-Stokes framework using k-ε turbulence modelling with standard wall functions, enabling detailed analysis of flow behavior, torque generation, power output, and wake development. The results demonstrate that turbine performance strongly depends on blade inclination angle. Higher blade angles improved aerodynamic interaction, increasing torque and power output. The best performance was achieved at 60°, producing 29.691 W with 37% efficiency, while the 30° configuration showed the lowest performance at 21.076 W and 26% efficiency. Wake analysis indicated that larger blade angles enhanced momentum extraction and kinetic energy conversion, but also increased downstream flow disturbance. The simulation is performed under unsteady conditions, and the effects of atmospheric turbulence variation and structural deformation are not considered in this study. However, the findings provide practical value for the design of low-speed wind energy systems by identifying optimal geometric configurations for improved energy harvesting in low-wind regions. From an ecological engineering perspective, the results support the development of compact, efficient wind turbines capable of decentralized clean energy production, reducing reliance on fossil fuels in rural and urban low-wind environments. The originality of this work lies in the systematic CFD-based evaluation of blade inclination angle effects on Archimedes wind turbine performance under low wind speed conditions, supported by aerodynamic and wake-field analysis. The results contribute to a deeper understanding of spiral turbine behavior and provide a foundation for environmentally adaptive wind energy system design.