Simulation of a Savonius Turbine Implementing CFD Tools for Energy Generation in Rivers

Abstract

In Colombia, communities located outside urban areas face a continuing challenge in accessing energy. Harnessing a percentage of the country's hydrological potential is a sustainable solution for these populations, using hydrokinetic turbines. Among the available turbines, the Savonius stands out for its efficient operation at low flow rates, its start-up capacity, and its design simplicity. This research models and simulates a Savonius turbine, composed of two cylinders with one advancing and one retreating, between two horizontal disks with a symmetrical position with respect to the center, with a speed of 1 m/s. The simulation was performed with ANSYS, considering the turbine design diameters, the moment coefficient (CM), the torque coefficient (CP) and the tip speed (STR, Tip Speed Ratio). The results indicated that the optimal operating point of an individual turbine is obtained with a Tip Speed Ratio (TSR) of 0.9, with a power of 5.6 Watts, generating a total of 4.0248 kWh/month. Considering, for example, the average consumption of 534 kWh per month of the 121 inhabitants of the town of Alto Estero (Magüí Payán, Nariño), a hydrokinetic park with 133 turbines would be required to supply 100% of the energy. Consequently, it is necessary to continue research to explore fewer complex alternatives.