Optimized Blade Design For Windmills

The intent of this project, created in collaboration with Mech425, is to identify the best
angle for flat, uniform blades in relationship to the air stream. The angle of the blades should be
optimized to convert the most amount of energy into rotational motion. Flat blades are used in
conjunction with vertical axis turbines and the design is generally selected when simplicity is
preferred or when access to tools and supplies are limited.
The project has been selected to provide support to individuals looking to generate
electricity by harvesting the wind. The target audience are people who cannot afford
commercially available models and have chosen to build their own.
Windmills have many functions and can be operated wherever there is access to wind.
Windmills use their blades to convert the energy in wind into rotational motion. This rotational
motion can either be used for direct work or converted again into electricity. Originally, windmills
were used to perform the grinding at mills. Today, they are still used for this purpose but have
extended their range of uses to pumping water and electricity generation. In lesser economically
developed countries, the electricity generated by homemade windmills is often used to charge
batteries and cell phones or operate lighting devices, radios and irrigation pumps.
Modern wind turbines that are commercially available have been tailored to address
specific wind speeds and are capable of generating megawatts of electricity from each turbine.
However, homemade solutions are often low-tech and have undergone little scrutiny in terms of
optimization. This report intends to identify to best angle to tilt the blades in relation to the
oncoming wind to generate the most amount of electricity.
William Kamkwamba is a fantastic example of someone who could benefit from the
analysis presented in this report. He was able to build the windmill using his ingenuity and a trial
and error mentality. He successfully transformed the scrap materials around him into a
functional windmill that offers both light and irrigation. His work has provided a better life to his
family and friends, while inspiring people throughout the world. However, based on his limited
formal education, he did not incorporate engineering calculations to optimize the design. As
more people try to harness the potential of the wind, there is great value in optimizing these
devices to maximize their social benefit.
Flat blades are less common than other designs but offer significant benefits, especially in
low income or remote areas. The following is a list of benefits offered by utilizing flat blades:
Easy to build, Less design and local knowledge required, Less equipment and time is required
during construction and Easier to ensure blades are a consistent shape and size.
The Benz limit was developed by Albert Benz and is intended to represent the maximum
possible energy that a device can derive from a stream of fluid at a given speed. In the case of
windmill, the maximum theoretical efficiency of a thin rotor can be found based on the following
assumptions: The rotor is considered ideal, having an infinite number of blades and no drag;
The flow into and out of the rotor is axial and in accordance conservation equations; The fluid is
modelled based on incompressible flow; The Benz limit has predicted the theoretical maximum
value for the power coefficient to be 0.593. This means that the theoretical limit of power
removed from the fluid is 59.3%. In comparison, commercial wind turbines are currently able to
achieve 40 - 50% conversion due to slight inefficiencies related to the blade design and
mechanical process.
The amount of energy available in a stream of fluid has been indicated below and is
closely related to both fluid velocity and swept area of the blades. The other important
component is how much energy can be derived from the oncoming fluid. For flat blades, the
angle that the windmill blades are tilted compared to the stream of fluid will determine how much
energy can be converted into rotational motion and then be captured by the system for
meaningful work.
















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