Experimental study of the characteristics of a vertical-axis wind turbine with a stationary confuser under varying active load resistance

Abstract

Experimental studies of a vertical-axis wind turbine have been conducted, demonstrating the effectiveness of using a wind flow concentrator to increase the power output of such turbines. It has been established that investigating the flow conditions around the wind generator in a wind tunnel with a concentrator allowed for a significant reduction in the rotor's cut-in speed. The impact of the concentrator on increasing the wind generator's power was studied, showing that the power value under steady wind flow conditions in the wind tunnel can increase up to 4 times. The importance of electromechanical matching of the "generator-load" system to realize the maximum energy potential of the wind installation is demonstrated. It has been determined that for the investigated "wind turbine - concentrator" complex, the optimal electrical circuit resistance is 100 Ohms, which ensures the optimal balance between the rotor's speed characteristics and power extraction. Decreasing the circuit resistance leads to excessive electromagnetic braking and a reduction in the rotor's rotational speed, while increasing the resistance causes the generator to operate in a mode close to an idle state, resulting in underutilization of its useful power. It is shown that using a three-phase Larionov bridge rectifier based on Schottky diodes reduces switching voltage losses to minimum values, which is a necessary condition for initiating electricity generation at the starting stages of the wind turbine rotor's rotation. The results of the experimental studies for various operating modes of the "wind turbine - wind flow concentrator" system demonstrate the prospects of using such a wind generator design for the further development of industrial prototypes of small and medium-capacity wind turbines.Recieved: 15.06.2025. Recieved: 12.08.2026. Accepted: 20.08.2026