Wind Turbine Design: With Emphasis on Darrieus Concept

The depletion of global fossil fuel reserves combined with mounting environmental concerns has served to focus attention on the development of ecologically compatible and renewable alternative sources of energy. Wind energy, with its impressive growth rate of 40% over the last five years, is the fastest growing alternate source of energy in the world since its purely economic potential is complemented by its great positive environmental impact. The wind turbine, whether it may be a Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine (HAWT) or a Vertical Axis Wind Turbine (VAWT), offers a practical way to convert the wind energy into electrical or mechanical energy. Although this book focuses on the aerodynamic design and performance of VAWTs based on the Darrieus concept, it also discusses the comparison between HAWTs and VAWTs, future trends in design and the inherent socio-economic and environmental friendly aspects of wind energy as an alternate source of energy.