Design and Development of Savonius Turbine for STEM Education

Abstract

There are very few initiatives to engage students in learning about the sustainability of wind energy through Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics education, also known as STEM. This awareness is essential for future generations to instill interest and understanding in the significance of sustainable energy. Therefore, a practical, hands-on Savonius turbine demonstration kit has been designed for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education. Two models of drag-driven vertical axis 2-bladed and 3-bladed Savonius turbines were built to generate electricity and integrated with a model house as part of the STEM turbine kit. It was fabricated in-house and could display power using LED lights and actuating a few mechanical devices. The experimental study in this project aims to investigate and analyze the influence of the number of blades on turbine power performance in terms of power coefficient and torque coefficient with respect to tip speed ratio. The results revealed that the 3-bladed Savonius turbine has a higher power coefficient than the 2-bladed at a tip speed ratio of 0.109. However, the torque coefficient decreased as the tip speed ratio increased due to an increase in the number of blades that eventually created a reverse torque. It is also observed that the 3-bladed turbine generated the highest power output of 1.28 Watt at a speed of 38.8 m/s. The results also discovered that all the components could run more efficiently using the 3-bladed Savonius turbine. This kit demonstrates the ability to contribute to the education system in developing countries, such as Malaysia by supporting the construction of an engaging educational process with practical integration and low production costs.