Low-Cost Light-Weight Quick-Manufacturable Blades for Human-Scale Wind Turbines

A novel blade design for small wind turbines intended for residential use in rural locations and/or developing nations has been developed. Traditionally, blades for these turbines are carved from weather resistant woods which may be costly and difficult to manufacture. This work seeks to reduce cost and construction time by developing blades from readily available PVC drainage pipe. The blade design underwent airfoil optimization regarding the blade twist along its length and drop, via computational fluid dynamic (CFD) simulations with open source software. Blades were built of PVC using the new CFD design and tested on field operation, the manufacturing process as well as their performance was monitored and recorded in terms of comparison with classical wood-based design.