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mformarlce Technical by:

Test Report

of a Savonius TlO and A. Bodek

Rotor

M.H. Simonds

Published by: Brace Research Institute MacDonald College McGill University ste. Anne de Bellevue 800 Quebec, Canada H9X 1CO Paper copies are $ 2.25.

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McGill

lJn!.versity

Faculty BRACE

of

Engineering INSTITUTE

RESEARGH

Performance

Test of

a Savonius Rotor. Technical Report No. TlO January 1964

by M.H. Simonds, B.E. and . A. Boded

BRACE EXPERIMENT STATION St. James Barbados, For further West Indies .please contact:

information

Brace Research Institute Macdonald College of McGill University Ste. Anne de Bellevue 800 Quebec, Canada H9X 3M1

CONTENTS Page Summary Contents Nomenclature Introduction Description Conclusions Acknowledgment References Appendix: Application of Savonius Rotors to Pumping Table of Results FIGLIRES 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.
6.

The 18 sq. ft. Dimensions Silk Band Brake

Savonius Rotor

9 10 9

of the Rotor of Savonius Rotor of Savonius Rotor for Range of Wind Power Machines to a Dkaphragm Pump Wind Speed with Rotor Flow Rate and of Savonius

Torque Characteristic Power Characteristic Power Characteristics Savonius Variation Variation Estimated Fan Mill Rotor

11 12 13 14 15 16 17

7. 8. 9. 10.

Harnessed

of Pump Flow with of Total Pumping Performance

Head and Pump Efficiency

Performance

'Test of a Savonius bY

Rotor

M.H. Simonds,

B.E. and A. Bodek

SLlMMARY
A performance open site. by a silk with The shaft band brake. plotted test output was carried out on an 18 sq. ft. Savonius rotor torque on an exerted and

was determined are presented

by measl-~-ing the brake as characteristics of 0,7, to the application the 18 sq.ft. that a Savonius a practical

The shaft against

speed and power output tip speed ratio. is given is concluded

were non-dimensionalised of torque

wind speed;

the results at a tip and test

power coefficient of 0.1~ was attained rotors to pumping,

The peak power coefficient of Savonius Savonius rotor design rotor of windmill. pumping

speed ratio results It

In an appendix, 'Karnessed It is, to a diaphragm quite only

consideration pump.

are given for and is indeed

system operates however,

satisfactorily, about half pumping water, pumping head.

as efficient

as the conventional of the diaphragm

fan mill. pump must be for pumping One approach wings, to be tried,

When used for -chosen to suit

the diameter

the total

The system seems best suited

in cases where the well depth does not exceed about 20. feet. Further work on the Savonius type rotor should be of two kinds. should etc., specific depending be to investigate through wind tunnel local applications on specific the effects studies. of changes in the shape of the rotor The other approach materials, should be related should etc.,

in which use of different conditions.

-1-

Symbol d S t v T N P
p=

Quantity Diameter Projected Air Shaft Shaft Shaft md N -60 v density torque speed power Wind speed of rotor area of rotor

Units
Ft.

sq. ft. Slug/cu.ft. Ft./set. lb. ft. X.P.M. ft.lb./sec.

Tip speed ratio Torque coefffcient 2y' CT Power coefficient

cT=p = g+d c=
P
u2pv3s

-2INTHCDUCTICN A Savonius rotors himself naturally rotor carried is a vertical axis wind rotor (See Figs. 1 and 2). Such Savonius

were developed

in Finland

by J. Savonius

in the period the majority

1925-1928l.

out many experiments,

of which were simply

However he did harness a 20 sq, ft. (projected area) model tests. it is possible to get a rough rotor to a pump, and from the figures he presents, During World War II, New 'York College of Engineering idea of the rotor's performance. comparrZtive did some wind tunnel greater be pieced might is that available gallon bearings rotors oil is not satisfactory. together The present have application such rotors materials and timber to pumping. tests on a rotor2. The scatter testing, picture of their results is much ways the report performance Savonfus can than can be justified from this test could for wind tunnel and in other of the rotor as to whether by local iabour

However a more detailed

report. is part of an investigation be constructed low cost. The appendix and plates, and erected The rotor

rotors

as wind power units at very frame.

in underdeveloped tested

countries.

The idea out of readily ball

was made out of two 44 two self-aligning of Savonius

drums, plywood

a 2" diameter,pipe, deals with

the application

Description The leading constructed plywood ball a silk weights bearings, end plates d<mensions of the rotor shaft. are shown in Fig. The shaft frame. brass 3. drum, of diameter The brake before torque 6.813", with wiih The silk in tension abrasive constant band was tensioned 2. The rotor was

out of two 44 gallon which were bolted 0.015"

011 drums, which were bisected, to the timber rubbing on it,

and mounted on

and a 2" diameter

runs in two self-aligning

The brake consisted band of thickness and spring balances,

of a cylindrical as shown in Fig. fine

is the product

of the radius the band. tension R.P.M.

of the drum and the difference the brake torque

between the two ends of use, and once the bxnd regardless and for of changes of the recorded were used to "Wind Scope"; were the pitot-static

The drum was cleaned with

was adjusted,

remained

A tacho-generator test results, measure wind speed. however, the values low. unexpectedly Earlier

was used to measure rotor pitot-static tests coefficient

R.P.M.,

a vane-mounted of torque

tube and micro-manometer a Taylor against obtained

had been done, using calibrated

from these measurements

The Wind Scope was later

tube and found to be reading 1 mph high at 10 mph, this erl-or decreasing with wind The effect of this 10% error in wind speed was to make the Lorque coefficient speed. 20% low and the tip speed ratio points 10% low. These errors the torque that had a cumulative characteristic conditions effect of Fig. results and the on 4 like was the torque characteristic. The experimental have a scatter steady remained during relation:+clusios 1. Figs. of any similar
2.

used to plot turbulence.

of 3- 30X

This is due to the fact value

were nothing

as a result steady; periods

of atmospheric

The method of obtaining of brake torque

as follows:

The brake was set to a particular of relative %: steadiness,

whLch thereafter

the wind speed and the R.P.M. were continuously readings were taken. of Fig. 5 was derived from Fig.

observed,
4 using

The power characteristic Cp = 7-b

The essential From these rotor

results

4 and 5.

of this two graphs, it of the Savonius

report are summarised in the graphs of is possible to predict the shaft output rotor rotor may be put in the perspective 74 of Ref. develops 3 (See Fig. wind mill. 6 of this which power coefficients of

of given

size at a given wind speed and R.P.M. it on Fig.

The performance It can be seen that

Gther wind power machines report). are much lower Acknowledgment

by plotting

the Savonius

than those of the various

types of propeller

Mr. A. Bodek was responsible the rotor and pump.

for

the desi'gn,

manufacture

and erection

of

REFERENCES 1.
2.

"The wing rotor

in theory

and practice",.S.J. C of Report

Savonius,

Finland, Project,

1928. New York

"The Savonius rotor", Appendix College of Engineering, 1944. "The gsneration Limited, 1955. of electricity

on Wind Turbine E.W. Gelding,

3. 4.

by wind power",

E. and F.N. Spon

"Water pumping by windmills", Neyrpic), La Houille Blanche,

L. Vadot (Ingenieur-Conseil No. 4, Septembre 1957.

aux Etablissements

-4APPENDIX -1. General Having establtshed there different fibres in size might might the shaft output of the Savonius for it rotor, it remains Rotors, out

to see whether widely considered. of natural parts

are any applications and construction a large diameter hand it for prove a practical prove suitable

as a wind power unit.

from the example tested, slow running proposition is conceivable the generation there Also, if this rotor for

have to be

On one hand,

machine constructed pumping ir. certain that tall,

of the world.

On the other

s&mall diameter, quantitites as a and of wind, of vertical of

high speed rotors electricity. multi-bladed

of small

Area for fan mill.

area the Savonius However,

is about half

as efficient

in many places favour, them.

is no shortage the simplicity simplicity

hence no binding axis wind rotors simple equipment In this comparison with

need to use Lt 'efficiently'. militates to which appendix, in their to harness application

can be matched by Any proposed and which rotor would or

to pumping only is considered. must be justified is commercially available,

pumping system which uses a Savonius rotor the fan mill over the years has reached only be applicable shortage equipment. 2. Design Cr;,teria (a) for Windmill fulfilling of raw mterials, a high it state

by very careful The Savonius

equipment which through

of development.

in areas where,

lack of manufacturing more cheaply

facilities than alternative

could be fabricated

Pumping Systems a specific stated, for application in a given wind regime, cost. defined The specific: as accurate:-have the lowest safety factors reliability which if

For completely

the system of windmill, as possible. in the planning that the lives the system. perform (b) (c) 3.

pump and tank should engineering

job to be done must be clearly stage to allow of men and beasts Design tends airs.

and the wind regime

However considerable

need to be app?Fed It must be remembered being such mills built do not into water pump sufficient

the variability depend on sufficient lightly

of nature.

towards It

loaded mills winds.

on the days of light too eff,ciently The windEil1 Details

is not of much consequence

on the days of strong should

The pumping system should be easy to erect be able to look after

and maintain. itself safely in storms.

Practical

In attempti;lg noting these machines

to engineer

Savonius features to achieve

rotors

into

pumping systems it design. torque

is worth of

some of the significant are multi-bladed,

of fan mill

The wind wheels

good starting

and good power

-5coefficients head, a slowly the rotary reduction machined at relatively reciprocating shaft motion gear is used. gears and oil height protects A li,mited Savonius readily wi,hout rather countered, was built rotor requires that itself low shaft speeds. Owing to the limitations well on suction

in most applications

the pump has to operate pump rod is the most practical is converted The design minimal it bath lubrication, operates to reciprocating of the mill so that in a clear out of wind. maintenance.

below the mill head, and At the mill head, drive. motion: with small mills a by the use of efficiency is high

head is refined the mechanical The mill wind,

and the equipment of sufficient the mill recommended for

is mounted on a tower of very strong wind, with the

(The minimum tower height

a 6' diameter

~411 is 25').

In conditions

by turning

amount of experience tolerance gear.

has been gained

in pumping water because

tested.

Diaphragm pumps have been used, mainly engineering) drive. of a size vibration in Fig, Some preliminary Serious inefficiently. is illustrated

they could a pump

be made (no close small with

to match the rotor, problems 7. under is plotted with falls were en-

the use of a reduction

work was done using A second and larger

pump and a swash plate a crank so that drive,

and the system pumped very and this After initial

This arrangement length against wind the conditions system flow rate off trr camy be improved

runs very smoothly. were adjusted

fabrication, In Fig.

the plunger 8, pump flow

and stroke

the pump was well

matched to the rotor

of head and wind speed of the tests. speed at a static were calculated. have Leen estimated rather sharply with by reftned out further ground, doubtful to operate Performance design head of 9.7 ft. The variation increasing of the valves and are plotted flow. without the centre close below it.

The dynamic head losses of total in Fig. 9.

in the piping

head and pump efficiency The pump efficiency could

This efficiency specific

probably in mind.

and passages.

However it applications

is not proposed

pump development

Note in Fig, 7 that and that less it whether from a level

of the rotor to the rotor. For a rotor a bevel

is a mere 7 ft. of this reduction output,

above the it seems

the pump is very than 15 ft. would be worth

A pump can only draw water gear and cross head

fitting

a remote pump. Calculations

Consider a Savonius rotor harnessed to a pump which is pumping against a total head of H ft. Assume a fixed displacamant pump which pumps W lb. for each revolution of the rot..~.

-6Thus, mass flow and water If the efficiency then water or N.W.H. .I Putting W power = N.W. Ib/min. N.W.11. ft.lb./min. drive is 7 power

of the pump and its = 92TT =++Aif the rotor T.N.

power = TX shaft

in some numbers, S = d = .. . N = both

is the same as the one tested:

18.1 sq, ft. 3.1 ft. 6.15 are constant:

Assume that

V P the total head and the pump efficiency 30 ft, 60% the rotor operates

H =

7
The pump size coefficient in a 10 m.p.h. At V= .. . = P N=

is chosen so that wind. 10 mph

at maximum power

0.7 for maximum power coefficient 63 R.P.M. 0.11 1.5 lb. is calculated Oe6 ft. x 2rx 30 at all 1.5 = 0,19 lb. the rotor the torque torque the torque operates coefficharacterft.

c, = ;c= Thus the pump size

w =7+= Sfnce W,7 at a constant wind speed. cient thence istic. Pump flow = 36.9p.V.W. The variation results sizes definite various this far, could easily have been plotted period shaft and H have all torque of 1.5 lb.

been assumed to be constant, at a given wind speed, ft. of shaft ratio per hour. is read off

wind speeds above the starting is calculated;

To determine

the pump flow value

corresponding

to the wind speed and 1.5 lb. of tipspeed Imp. gall. 10.

the corresponding

of pump f-low with in Fig. be plotted.

wind speed has been calculated Note that output similar curves for

and the different pump for However, too

The overal,l

of the pumping system over a by integration, this output. carrying of specifjring

of gLven wind distribution a piece of academic lily

can be determined guilding which

pump sizes:

a pump size can then be chosen to optimise of the assumptions and the difficulties

is probably

is not worth

owing to the crudeness

-7wind distributions. Also plotted mill of the same area, the mill chosen so thar 10 mph. Savonius in Fig. 10 is the pump flow which the same head.. can be expected Again, from a fan pumping against operates The output pump size has been start wind at substantially that speed. a little further: of the

at best power coefficient. of the fan mill between Savonius

at a wind speed of

Under the assumed conditions as all wind speeds significantly

the two machines would above the starting rotor

the same wind speed.

is about 1.8 times and fan mill

To take the comparison the Southern It

Cross Company of Australia The smallest good fan mill equipment. mill. Savonius engine available is approximately rotors The cost material estimated of the size tested. of the 18 sq. ft. (Barbados) do not include

is representative of manufacturers of mill in their range is the 6' diameter LZ that this mill could do the work of three mill (including wind wheel, May 1960. built entirely It from locally must be noted it can be and the that The price of this

and 25' tower)

was US $95, f.o.b., by unskilled

Brisbane, rotor labor cost

Savonius

was US $23, for

the two quoted prices assumed that Savonius terms. for rotor. The foregoing The next using Savonius out.

the cost

of the pump.

However,

the pumps would be of similar performance rotors

both the fan mill

work is about as far a technical locations. If

as one can go in general case can be made and pump can such a case can be made, then of rotor

step is to see whether in specific

and econumic

engineering be carried

development

of the most suitable

configuration

- 8-

TABLE OF RESULTS Brdce

P.M.

I. L.H.S. Spring 9.0 Friction Force lb. 11.7

_ Manometer Zero 4.664' Reading 4.25 4.308 4.35 4.38 4.27 4.21 4.53 4.20 4.34 4.39 4.41 4.26 4.38 4.42 4.44 4.42 4.45 4.41 4.47 4.40 4.43 4.34 4.39 4.43 4.50 4.50 4637 4.47 4.4i 4.49 4.53 4.54 4.47 4.46 4.35 4.36 4.50 4.46 4.55 4.40 4.48 4.49 Difference cm Hz0 0.42 0.36 0.32 0.29 0.40 0.46 0.14 0.47 0.33 0.28 G.26 0.41 0.29 0.25 0.23 0.25 0.22 3.26 0.20 0.27 0.24 0.33 0.28 0.24 0.17 0.17 0.30 0.23 0.29 0.21 0.17 0.16 0.20 0.28 0.24 0.35 0.34 0.20 0.24 0.15 0.30 0.22 0.21 Wind STeed m.p.h. 18.7 17.3 16.3 15.5 18.3 19.6 10.8 19.8 17.4 15.3 14.7 18.5 15.5 14.4 13.8 14.4 15.5 14.7 12.9 15.0 14.2 16.6 15.3 14.1 11.9 11.9 15.8 13.9 15.5 13.2 12.0 11.6 13.0 15.3 14.1 17.1 16.8 13.0 14.1 11.2 15.8 13.5 13.1 R. P.M. TiP Speed Ratio )L 1.13 0.88 0.89 0.75 0.86 0.91 0.75 0.815 0.80 0.76 0.63 0.85 0.64 0.35 0.54 0.85 0.94 0.99 0.86 0.89 0.90 1.00 1.38 1.42 1.48 l.38 1.41 0.70 0.79 0.66 0.52 0.59 0.31 0.45 0.36 0.54 0.84 0.99 1.00 1.04 1.07 1.05 1.18

echo) R.H.S. Spring ,en. > wt. 180 1.30 l?i

130

Torque Coefficient Cb .069 .080 .090 .lOO .O73 .063 .2G7 .062 .088 .103 ,111 .087 .124 .143 .156 .074 .084 .071 .093 .069 .077 ,056 0

13.7

1.!i 1c.0 70 lbi . -\I 9')!' 1!!(!

50

4.666 7 18.5 IL.0 14.5

i?
f ,

L*
(. ;

i-i?; 110 i 2.i 95 '1i i 110 ILO '180 0 1.20 'L50 Lb0 190 x5 0 105
75

11.5

4.0

7.5

20

9.5

10.5

4.67 4.704

i70 ho 14.50 7 3.5

60

19.0

12.2

45 80 120 110 0 120 100 1L5 120 1 30

4.0

5.0

4.70.

190 137 131 x05 142 160 73 154 126 105 84 142 89 46 67 110 115 131 100 120 115 149 190 180 159 148 200 88 110 78 62 62 36 62 46 84 127 116 127 105 153 127 138

-113 .089 .123 .152 .162 -183 ,131 -152 ilO5 .108 -062 .051 .082 -041 ,036 -059

-9-

Fig.

1.

The ?S eq. ft.

Savoniue Rotor

Fig.

3.

The Band Brake

- 10 -

Projected Area = 37.3 x 70 = 2611 sq. in. Distance Between End Plates - 70 in. Shaft Dia. - 2.0 in. Circumferential Speed per 1 Rev. = 9.76 ft. Fig. 2.

= 18.1 sq. ft.

per min.

DIMENSIONS OF THE 18.1 SQ. FT. SAVONIUS ROTOR.

- 11 -

0.2

0.4

0.6 Tip Speed Ratio

0.8 - p

1.0

1.2

Fig.

4. TORQUECHARACTERISTIC OF SAVONIUS ROTOR.

.-... .

_-

7---

- 12 -

0.2

. - )c

I
l

Tip Speed Ratio Fig. 5.

POWER CHARACTERISTIC OF SAVONIUS ROTOR.

0.5

I A.
B.

_____~--.

0.4

C. D.

Savonius Rotor Slow Speed Multibladed Rotor Fourbladed Sail Type Rotor

High Speed Rotor

EL u t 0.3 v s 7-t c) ;;1 w zi " 0.2 2 03 PI 0.1

6 Tip Speed Ratio Fig. 6. - y

POWERCHARACTERISTIC3 FOR RANGE OF WIN3 MACHlNF,S

Fig.

7.

Diaphragm
F-P

Water Reservoir

"Flip-Flop" to measure Water Flow

- is -

250

Swept volume Static Head

0.5 in. 16 cu.in. 9.67 ft.

100

10

12 Wind Velocity

14 - V (mph)

16

ia

Fig.8.

VARIATSON OF PUMPFLOW WITH WIND VELOCITY.

9.

9. Waker Flow Rate (lb. per min.)

60

40

20

I 20

I 40 Water Flow Rate (lb.

I 60 per min.)

I 80

Fig.

9.

VARIATION OF TOTAL HEAD & PUMPEFFICIENCY WITH FILM RATZ.

,I.

- 17 600

500

Assumed Conditions: Constant Total Head = 30 ft. Constant Efficiency of Pump and Drive = 60%

10 Wind Velocity Fig. 10.

(mph)

ESTIMTED PUMPING PERFORMANCE SAVONIUS ROTORAND FAN MILL OF