Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 73 (2017) 904921

Contents lists available at ScienceDirect

Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews

journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/rser

Performance enhancements on vertical axis wind turbines using ow MARK

augmentation systems: A review

Kok Hoe Wonga, Wen Tong Chonga, , Nazatul Liana Sukimana, Sin Chew Poha,
Yui-Chuin Shiahb, Chin-Tsan Wangc
a
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Malaya, 50603 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
b
Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan City 701, Taiwan
c
Department of Mechanical and Electro-Mechanical Engineering, National Ilan University, Yilan City 260, Taiwan

A R T I C L E I N F O A BS T RAC T

Keywords: There are many advantages of vertical axis wind turbines (VAWTs) compared with horizontal axis wind turbines
Vertical axis wind turbine (HAWTs). Research has shown that VAWTs are more suitable for turbulent wind ow and urban applications.
Flow augmentation devices However, the eciency and low self-start ability of VAWTs are always the main drawbacks especially for the lift-
Coecient of power type VAWTs. Unlike HAWTs, the rotor blades for VAWTs do not always provide positive torque during
Performance enhancement
operation. Many innovative designs have been implemented to improve the performance of VAWTs, and this
Diuser
Guide vanes
includes dierent congurations and blade proles. This paper extensively reviews various ow augmentation
systems and attempts to provide information to researchers on current augmentation techniques and other
relevant research. The ow augmentation system is able to increase the coecient of power, CP, hence
improving the output power of dierent types of VAWTs. Some augmentation systems are able to increase the
maximum power output by up to 910%. The methods and designs used to increase upwind velocity and to
reduce negative torque created on the wind turbine have been discussed in detail. Additionally, the ow
augmentation devices that are integrated with building structures are also reported in this paper.

1. Introduction
Since the last decade, the increase in the world's population has led
to a dramatic increase in energy demand. With the depletion of fossil
fuels and the rise in environmental problems such as global warming,
unusual weather changes, and high emission rates of carbon dioxide
(CO2), the world has come to realize that alternative energy sources are
needed to ensure sustainability and the conservation of the environ-
ment. These factors have popularized the use of dierent renewable
energy types which include solar, wind, hydro, and biomass amongst
others. Of these, wind energy is abundant, clean, cheap, and has been
used by mankind for centuries in agriculture for water pumping, crop
irrigation and grain grinding [1,2]. Nowadays, wind energy is estab-
lished as a mainstream form of energy in electrical power generation,
and has been an increasing trend. According to the global wind energy
outlook, the global cumulative installed wind capacity has increased
signicantly since year 2000, and reached 432,419 MW in year 2015 as
shown in Fig. 1 [3].
Generally, there are two categories of wind turbines: the horizontal
axis wind turbines (HAWTs), and the vertical axis wind turbines
(VAWTs). Both of these wind turbines have their respective advantages
and drawbacks. Compared with the HAWTs, capturing the wind from
any direction is the main advantage for VAWTs, where a yaw mechan-
ism is not required [4,5]. With a simple structure, less noise, and small
operation space, VAWTs are more suitable for urban areas where the
wind ow is highly turbulent and inconsistent [6,7]. However, the main
drawbacks of the VAWTs include having a low eciency and diculty
in self-starting [68].
1.1. Types of vertical axis wind turbines
VAWTs can be classied into two types which are drag-type and lift-
type VAWTs based on the rotor blade design. For drag-type VAWTs, they
normally comprise of a plurality of straight or concave cup shaped blades
which utilize the push force of the wind to rotate the turbine. The typical
drag-type VAWTs are the Savonius rotor and the Sistan rotor. Compared
to the lift-type VAWTs, the drag-type VAWTs have shown a better self-
start ability, however, they are lower in eciency [911].
The lift-type VAWTs that include the H-rotor and Darriues rotor are
constructed with airfoil shaped blades, and when the wind ow

Corresponding author.
E-mail address: chong_wentong@um.edu.my (W.T. Chong).

http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.rser.2017.01.160
Received 29 June 2016; Received in revised form 12 November 2016; Accepted 29 January 2017
1364-0321/ 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
K.H. Wong et al.
Nomenclature
VAWT vertical axis wind turbine
HAWT horizontal axis wind turbine
TSR tip speed ratio
CFD computational uid dynamics
FVM nite volume method
interacts with the blades, the aerodynamic lift forces created cause the
turbine to rotate. The lift-type VAWTs perform eciently but they face
diculty in self-starting [11]. Hence, some researchers and engineers
have suggested a hybrid VAWT that combines both types of VAWTs to
overcome their weaknesses [7,12].
Unlike the HAWTs, positive torque is not always created when the
incoming wind stream interacts with the rotating blades of VAWTs. The
negative torque that reacts in the counter direction reduces the overall
performance of the VAWTs. Therefore, many innovative ideas have been
suggested by researchers to improve the performance of VAWTs.
1.2. Innovation on vertical axis wind turbine
Research has been conducted around the world to increase the
performance of VAWTs. These designs include modications on the
blade or the conguration of the VAWTs. According to Elkhoury et al.
[13], an H-rotor with variable pitch was developed where the vertical
straight blades of the wind turbine can be slightly rotated to adjust the
pitch angle, whereby the wind stream incidents occur at dierent
angles of attack. The power coecient, CP at all TSR was found to be
increased signicantly. Similar studies were also conducted by Zeiner-
Gundersen [14] on the passive pitching airfoil blade. Chougule [15]
proposed a double-element airfoil for the blade design which consists
of a main airfoil and a slat airfoil. The slat angle is able to change the
lift coecient of the blade, where the CP was improved by approxi-
mately 43% compared with a typical airfoil [15]. A novel design on the
Fig. 1. Global cumulative installed wind capacity from 2000 to 2015 [3].
Fig. 2. Optimal orientation of the obstacle plate in front of the returning blade for (a) two-bladed (b) three-bladed Savonius turbine [21].
905
Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 73 (2017) 904921
GBT guide box tunnel
PAGV power augmentation guide vane
VSA vortical stator assembly
ODGV Omni-direction-guide-vane
BIWT building integrated wind turbine
CP coecient of power
CT coecient of torque
Savonius rotor was suggested by Reupke and Probert [16] using a
slatted blade where an array of hinged aps is mounted onto the curve
blades. The aps will open passively when dierent pressures are
created on both sides of the Savonius blade to let the ow pass through;
reducing the negative torque of the returning blade. Also, an improved
self-starting ability of the Darrieus turbine using an opening on the
straight vertical blade was proposed by Chen et al. [17], however, it
resulted in a decrease in the overall CP. Rather than increasing the lift
coecient, another modication on the H-rotor blade was suggested by
Ismail and Vijayaraghavan [18] which was to maximise the torque
coecient. The average tangential force was increased by up to 40%
with the blade design consisting of an inward semi-circular dimple and
a Gurney ap near the inner tailing edge surface of the airfoil. A
double-bladed VAWT was introduced by Hara et al. [19] that comprises
of two oset vertical blades attached to each rotor arm. The design is
able to improve the self-starting behaviour which produces a larger
starting torque compared to the typical H-rotor.
Besides modications on the VAWTs, several researchers employ
stators that can increase the eciency of the wind turbines [2029].
The present review aims to compile the ow augmentation techniques
that are used to increase the in-coming wind speeds, hence increasing
the power generated by the wind turbine.
2. Augmentation devices for VAWTs
Although the Betz limit shows that the maximum eciency of a
K.H. Wong et al. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 73 (2017) 904921

wind turbine is approximately 59.3% at open ow, indeed, this limit

can be exceeded by augmentation systems which concentrate the wind
ow and increase the mass ow through the area of the augmented
devices [30]. Since the power generated by a wind turbine is propor-
tional to the cube of the incoming wind speed, therefore a slight
increase in the incoming wind speed can signicantly improve the
performance of a wind turbine system. The augmentation devices can
consist of a duct, stator, diuser, guide vanes, and other devices.

2.1. Single directional ow

Experiments and simulations have been conducted on the inuence

of the augmentation devices on the VAWTs performance [2029]. Most
of the augmentation devices comprise of a stator that is placed at the
upwind side of the turbine. It can be a straight plate, curved plate, or
any other shape. Generally, these plates are used as shields to reduce
the negative torque created on the VAWT, to channel the ow to a Fig. 4. The arrangement of the curtain plate [5].
better angle of attack, or to enhance the velocity of wind ow by
concentrating more wind ow towards the turbine. creased by about 27.3% and 27.5% respectively.
A similar study was carried out by Golecha et al. [23] to nd the
optimal position of a straight deector plate for the Savonius water
2.1.1. Drag-type turbine
turbine at the upstream ow experimentally. A total of eight dierent
Mohamed et al. [2022] have conducted CFD simulations with
positions were investigated as shown in Fig. 3. This deector acts as an
ANSYS-Fluent that were coupled with their in-house optimization
obstacle plate to reduce the negative or reverse torque exerted on the
library (OPAL) software. In the study, a straight plate was used as an
returning blade. From the experiment, it was found that all congura-
obstacle shield in front of the returning blade for the two-bladed and
tions except conguration 5 showed an improvement on the coecient
three-bladed Savonius turbine respectively. The simulation employed
of power, and conguration 2 had the highest coecient of power
the realizable k- model with Finite Volume Method (FVM) for
where the maximum Cp was 0.14 at TSR of 0.7 about 50% increase
discretization. From the simulation, it was shown that with the obstacle
compared to one without a deector. The result was in agreement with
plate, the static torque and the power of coecient for both cases were
the simulation conducted by Mohamed [20,21] above. For congura-
increased. Fig. 2 shows the optimal orientation of the obstacle blade for
tion 5, the deector did not cover the returning blade, but it accelerated
the two-bladed and three-bladed Savonius turbine. The self-starting
the ow which created a greater reversing torque to the turbine.
capability was improved with the introduction of the obstacle plate for
A curtain plate design was employed by Altan and Altigan [22,24
almost all congurations. From the optimization, the coecient of
26] for a Savonius wind turbine as shown in Fig. 4. Experiments and
power of the two-bladed and three-bladed Savonius rotor was in-

Fig. 3. Dierent positions of the upstream deector [23].

906
K.H. Wong et al.
simulations were carried out to investigate parameters such as the
length and angle of the curtain plate, and their eect on the
performance of the Savonius turbine. From the study, the longest
curtain blade with angles of =45 and =15 show the greatest
performance, where the maximum power of coecient was increased
by about 38.5% at the optimum design. The curtain plate that was
placed at the upstream of the turbine narrowed the entrance section
and sped up the wind ow, whilst with a longer curtain plate, more
wind was deected and collected by the turbine. The curtain prevents
the negative torque occurring on the convex surface of the blade as it
acts in an opposing direction. The numerical simulation was conducted
using Fluent CFD software using FVM discretization, and standard k-
turbulence model was employed in the study.
Shikha et al. [22,27] used a convergent nozzle as the power
augmentation device to concentrate the wind ow for a Savonius wind
turbine which is mainly aimed for low wind speed areas. The design is
similar to the curtain plate introduced by Altan and Altigan [2426]
previously. As illustrated in Fig. 5, the nozzle concentrator is placed at
the upwind and consists of two straight plates to channel the wind ow
to the wind turbine. However, it only allows the wind ow from a single
direction. In the wind tunnel study, three parameters were examined
and these consisted of the number of blades of the Savonius rotor,
length of the nozzle, and the inlet/ outlet ratio. The performance of the
wind turbine was increased with the increment of the rotor blade
number up to six blades which gave the optimum result. Most of the
wind ow created a positive torque when interacting with the rotor
blade as the number of rotor blades was increased. Indeed, the further
increase in the number of blades beyond six for the Savonius rotor
decreased the eciency of the system due to the narrow spaces
between the blades that distort the wind prole. Three dierent lengths
of the nozzle were tested which were 25 cm, 55 cm, and 80 cm with ve
ratios of inlet/ outlet from 0.15 to 0.55. Shikha claimed that the
optimal length of the nozzle was 55 cm with the inlet/ outlet ratio of
0.15 increased the wind speed by 3.7 times.
Besides the straight plate deector, other shaped deectors or
stator vanes are used for the Savonius wind turbine or the drag-type
wind turbine. Shaughnessy and Probert [22,27] introduced the V-
shaped deector mounted at the upstream of the Savonius wind
turbine as shown in Fig. 6. Experiments were carried out to obtain
the optimum angle of the V-shaped deector and the distance from the
turbine. The result showed that with the V-shaped deector, the
Savonius wind turbine was able to self-start and there was a peak CP
at an angle of 37. The maximum power was increased by approxi-
mately 20% with the V-shaped deector. However, optimum position
of the V-shaped deector is important to ensure power augmentation.
Tartuferi et al. [29] redesigned the blades of the Savonius wind
rotor into an airfoil shape and employed a new curtain system that is
able to self-orientate with the wind direction. Fig. 7 illustrates the
arrangement of the conveyor-deector curtain system. This system is
comprised of two aerodynamic appendages that partially enclose the
airfoil shape blade Savonius wind rotor. The lower conveyor is located
alongside the advancing blade which is concave to the wind stream.
With the extension of the conveyor to the rear side of the rotor, it was
able to channel the incoming wind towards the rotor in a better way;
increasing the ow interaction angle with the advancing blade. On the
other hand, the upper deector is adjacent to the returning blade that is
convex to the wind stream to reduce the dynamic pressure exerted on
the rotor that creates reverse motion. Both the conveyor and deector
are joined to hinges that enable them to be self-aligned relative to the
direction of the upstream wind. The studies simulated by MatLab code
and Fluent CFD software with dierent turbulence models were used.
Both the v2-f and RSM turbulence models exhibit good agreement with
experimental data. From the experiment and CFD simulation, the CP
value increased over all the working points with the maximum power
output being 20% greater than the bare turbine. The main drawback for
the system is that the rotor construction becomes more complex.
907
Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 73 (2017) 904921
Computational CFD simulations were carried out by El-Askary et al.
[31] on three innovative guide deector designs depicted in Fig. 8(a)
(c). Each of the designs uses three deector plates in which the rst
plate was to direct the wind to the concave advancing blade of the
Savonius wind rotor. The functions of the other two plates are to
prevent the negative torque created when the wind impinges on the
convex returning blade, and to channel the wind to the concave surface
on the other side of the same blade, eliminating the negative torque
whilst improving the positive torque created. In the study, SST k-
model has been used to analyze the turbulent ow by nite volume
method software Fluent. From the simulation, it showed that the third
design (c) with the curved passage shape gave the best performance
with a maximum power coecient of about 0.52 at a TSR of 1.1 which
increased by about 1.6 times compared to conventional value.
However, it was observed that these designs generated a wide wake
and strong vortex shielding behind the deector system, creating
ineciency and noise for the wind farm application where many of
the systems are arrayed together.
Irabu and Roy [32] employed a guide box tunnel (GBT) to a
Savonius rotor to prevent it from strong wind situations. As shown in
Fig. 9, the GBT is comprised of an inlet movable front wall and a
diverging movable exit wall in which the movable walls are able to
control the inlet wind ow. However, a manual or automatic control
system is required for the opening and shutting of the movable wall.
The concept of GBT is to augment the performance of the rotor during
low wind velocity, and to protect the rotor from strong wind disasters.
From the experiment result, it was shown that the maximum output
power coecient for the two-bladed rotor and three-bladed rotor were
1.23 and 1.5 times higher respectively compared to without the
employment of the GBT. The maximum output power for the two-
bladed rotor is about 1.08 times higher compared to the three-bladed
rotor.
Muller et al. [33] introduced the energy converter design for the
drag-type Sistan vertical axis wind turbine. As illustrate in Fig. 10, the
design consists of a block with a channel that is blocked by a moving
plate (top horizontal blade). When there is a wind ow, stagnation
pressure will be created at the upstream and downstream, and ow
separation occurs at the sharp corner of the downstream that generates
a pressure drop. Theoretically, the design increased the rotor perfor-
mance by approximately 48% conservatively, or by 61% optimistically.
From the scale model experiment, it achieved an eciency of more
than 40%. Some information including the pressure drop between front
and back wind mill, the optimum number of blades, and the eect of
the blade shape are still unclear from the study.
Chong et al. [34,35] conducted experiments and simulations on a
novel power-augmentation-guide-vane (PAGV) design with a Sistan
wind turbine. As shown in Fig. 11, the PAGV comprises various size
and shape guide vanes, as well as upper and lower inclined-angle wall
ducts. The vanes create multiple ow channels that increase the wind
speed by creating a venturi eect when the wind stream enters a
narrower space, and guiding it to the optimal angle of attack for the
Fig. 5. Concentrating nozzle for Savonius rotor [27].
K.H. Wong et al.
Fig. 6. V-shaped deector [28].
Fig. 7. Conveyor-deector curtain system [29].
rotor blades. However, the size and the visual impact are some of the
drawbacks of the design. The numerical simulation was conducted by
using nite volume method, ANSYS Fluent software where the SST
Fig. 8. Three dierent deector designs by W.A.El-Askary et al. [31].
908
Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 73 (2017) 904921
Fig. 9. Guide-box tunnel for Savonius wind turbine [32].
(shear stress transport) k- turbulence model was deployed. The
experimental results showed that the rotational speed of the rotor
was improved by approximately 73.2% at a wind speed of 3 m/s with
the PAGV where the power output was increased by about 5.8 times.
The self-start wind speed is also lowered from 3 m/s to 1.5 m/s.
2.1.2. Lift-type turbine
Many researchers apply deector plates on the Savonius rotor or
drag-type wind turbine. Takao et al. [36,37] investigated the guide vane
row to enhance the performance of a straight-bladed lift-type VAWT as
depicted in Fig. 12. In the wind tunnel experiment, a guide vane row
with three arc plates that can be rotated around the rotor was
positioned at the upstream by the tail vanes as the yaw mechanism.
It showed that the maximum CP of the turbine was increased by about
1.5 times compared to the case without guide vane. However, it was
K.H. Wong et al. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 73 (2017) 904921

Fig. 12. Guide vane and tail vane for VAWT [37].

Fig. 10. Front view of resistance type wind energy converter [11].

found that during low TSR, the performance is worse than without
guide vane; due to the airow inlet angle being changed radically by the
guide vane row. Further investigation was carried out on the eect of
the guide vane geometry, the distance from the rotor, and the number
of guide vanes. It showed that the optimum value for the guide vanes
was between 125 mm and 150 mm. It was also found that the CP is
independent of the number of guide vanes in a row.
Research by Kim and Gharib [38,39] applied the straight plate
deector for a lift-type counter-rotating VAWT to improve the e-
ciency. As shown in Fig. 13, a single at deector was placed at the
upstream of a counter-rotating straight-bladed VAWT. From this study,
with the existence of a deector at a proper position in front of a Fig. 13. Top view and side view of the arrangement for upstream deector [38].
VAWT, by tailoring free stream ow, it increases the local wind velocity
around the turbine; signicantly increases the performance of the 315 m/s. When 3000 W was generated, the wind ow for a bare
VAWT. However, when the deector is placed inside the streamline turbine was 14.18 m/s and 11.94 m/s for the case integrated with the
and is too close to the VAWT, the performance is worse than without duct. This showed that with the integration of the duct, more power
the deector. This is due to the wake that occurs with a small ow was generated at the same wind speed. The power increased to about
velocity. The result showed that when the ratio of the width of the 125% and 30% for wind speeds at 8 m/s and 15 m/s respectively. The
deector to the rotor diameter is 0.33, the maximum power coecient cost eectiveness, large duct size and need for strong support struc-
was increased by about 3 times which was from 0.031 to 0.101, while tures are the disadvantage of this design.
the TSR was also increased from 0.98 to 1.23, equivalent to an
approximately 26% increment. However, they declared that the study 2.2. Omni directional ow
is limited to a specic model of wind turbine which has high solidity
and low coecient of power in a low Reynolds number ow regime. As discussed in the previous section, the key limitation of the
Experiments and simulations were conducted by Santoli et al. [40] augmentation systems is it can only applicable for single direction wind
for a commercial VAWT integrated with a duct as illustrated in Fig. 14. ow, and therefore, a yaw mechanism is needed. Since wind ow
ANSYS Fluent with FVM discretization method software was used in direction is inconsistent and can be from any direction, some research-
the simulation. The power generated by the VAWT is proportional to ers have proposed the design of augmentation systems employed for
the cube of the wind speed. With the convergent duct, the wind speed omni-directional wind ow in order to counter this problem.
was amplied, in which the Venturi eect sped up the ow when it
entered a narrower section. 2.2.1. Drag-type turbine
From this experiment, the turbine was tested for the speed range of Pope conducted experimental and aerodynamic simulation analysis

Fig. 11. Power-augmentation-guide-vane (PAGV) [34,35].

909
K.H. Wong et al.
Fig. 14. Top view and isometric view of the duct with VAWT [40].
on a new drag-type wind turbine called Zephyr VAWT as shown in
Fig. 15. The turbine design comprises of nine stator vanes around the
VAWT with reverse winglets. In order to limit the peak performance of
the wind turbine during strong wind, the design has high solidity which
performs better at low TSR. The stator blades reduce turbulence in the
ow and change the wind ow direction to a particular angle of
incidence so that it strikes the wind turbine blade to harness power.
With the stator vanes, the CP was increased from 0.098 (bare turbine)
to 0.12. However, the CP value was still low for the performance of the
turbine [6,41,42]. The numerical simulation results were obtained by
using k- turbulence model simulated by commercial CFD software,
Fluent 6.3.26.
A tower cowling was introduced by Yao et al. [43]. Fig. 16 shows a
drag-type VAWT placed inside a cylindrical space that is evenly
surrounded by eight baes. With these bae plates, more wind is
forced to the inner part of the rotor blades that produce positive torque.
At the same time, the bae plates prevent the force on the outer part of
the rotor blades which create negative torque. However, complex tower
structure and visual impact are the disadvantages. The design can
improve the self-start behaviour by increasing the wind speed that
strikes the VAWT. Simulation was conducted for the study and good
aerodynamic performance was shown by the cowling tower. The RNG
k- turbulence model was applied and solved by using the nite volume
method with Fluent software. The Simulations showed that the wind
speed toward the turbine was increased with a more obvious dierence
of static pressure on the blade. The optimal arrangement of the design
was 800 mm of the cowling outer diameter with eight bae arc plates
tilted at an angle of 15. Maximum CP of 0.48 occurred when the rotor
is two-bladed with chord length of 210 mm tilted at 10, which is 2.4
times the value compared to without tower cowling.
Korprasertsak and Leephakpreeda [44,45] studied the eect of a
wind booster on a drag-type Savonius VAWT by using CFD simulation.
The numerical simulation was conducted using XFlow CFD software.
They found that the wind booster is able to guide and increase the wind
to the blades of the rotor. As shown in Fig. 17, the wind booster design
consists of upper and lower rings with stator vanes evenly distributed
around the VAWT to capture wind from all direction. The stator vanes
were designed with a curve-sided triangle shape to direct and throttle
the air streams. The result showed that the angular rotational speed
was increased by about 50% with the wind booster under no load
condition, thus improving the power generated signicantly.
Nevertheless, the study is purely a simulation and lacks experimental
validation.
Chen and Chen [46] designed a vortical stator assembly (VSA) to
improve a drag-type VAWT with six half-tube blades. The VSA
comprised of a top and a bottom loop plates, and six guide vanes as
illustrated in Fig. 18. The guide vanes function to guide the wind ow
tangentially into the VSA and create a vortical ow inside the VSA
which can increase the ow speed and reduce the negative torque of the
returning blade. The guide vanes act as ow nozzles that accelerate the
air when it is going through the guide vanes. Hence, the longer guide
vane will channel a higher air velocity to the VAWT. The design of the
VSA allowed wind ow from all directions. Experiments were con-
910
Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 73 (2017) 904921
ducted on a VSA to get the optimal design by changing the number of
guide vanes and the outer diameter of the VSA. The result showed that
by employing a VSA, it improved the performance of the VAWT
signicantly. The VSA of six guide vanes with an outer diameter of
about 1.82 times of the rotor diameter conguration showed the best
performance, augmenting the rotational speed, torque output, and
maximum power by about 318%, 200%, and 910% respectively at a
6 m/s wind speed.
Another innovative augmentation design for a drag-type Savonius
rotor was suggested by Burlando et al. [47]. The research was more
focused on the ow characteristic between CFD simulation and the
wind tunnel test. Fig. 19 illustrates the arrangement of the stator vanes
and a three-bladed Savonius rotor. The stators with xed orientation
were equally located at 120 with respect to wind direction. This study
incorporated stators with a multi-stage Savonius rotor. The stator
vanes enhanced the convergence of wind ow through the gaps
between the stator, and were able to avoid speed-up eects above
and below the stages. Experiments and simulations were conducted,
and the result showed that the wind ow was sped up by about 10% at
the gaps between the stator vanes. The open source CFD software,
OpenFOAM, which discretizes by nite volume method, was used to
perform the simulation with the RNG k- turbulence model.
An innovative approach of a micro wind turbine assembly that is
suitable for urban areas was proposed by Wang and Zhan [48,49]. This
design can be stand alone, retrot to current buildings, or integrated
fully with building architecture shape. As shown in Fig. 20, the drag-
type wind turbine resembles a lotus shape and is comprised of semi-
circular blades where the rotor resembles the petals, and static guide
vanes are similar to the sepals of a lotus ower. The guide vanes are
designed with a small aspect ratio, curvature in the Z-axis, and sculpted
the lotus shape wind streamline. These guide vanes prevent the wind
ow from escaping to the side external ow. However, the type of wind
turbine used is constrained by the design. A two dimensional steady
CFD was conducted to investigate the eect of the guide vanes
inclination angle on the micro wind turbine compared to the ordinary
hills or roofs that can enhance the performance of the turbine. The
numerical simulations performed by Fluent with all the equations are
discretized by FVM. The realizable k- model was selected as the
turbulence model. It showed that the 15 and 30 inclined angle sepal
Fig. 15. Zephyr VAWT [41,42].
K.H. Wong et al.
Fig. 16. Tower cowling (a) top view (b) side view [43].
Fig. 17. Wind booster [44].
guide vanes design improved by about 8.6% compared to the hills or
roofs at the corresponding angles. However, turbulence ow was
observed at the upwind blade foot at an inclined angle of 30 for the
guide vanes. At a TSR of 0.5, the average CP is about 118% higher than
the rotor with null inclined angle.
The research was further carried out by redesigning the guide vanes
with a barchan dune shape as depicted in Fig. 21. In this research, the
skew angles of the barchan dune guide vanes were simulated to
examine the eect on the performance of the lotus wind turbine.
Also, a comparison between with or without guide vanes was made and
studied. The semi-circular blade was divided into eight sections, and
the torque generated by each section was monitored. From the CFD
simulation result, apart from the last two sections which are close to
the guide vanes, the coecient of torque (CT) for other sections
increases signicantly due to the wind sculpting eect. At the down-
stream end, several groups of vortices were generated at the upper tip
of the returning blade. These vortices were formed along the concave
side of the returning blade and enhanced the suction pressure strength;
Fig. 18. Vortical stator assembly (VSA) with 6 vanes (a) top view (b) prototype [46].
911
Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 73 (2017) 904921
hence, the dynamic torque was increased. The average CT and CP value
for skew angle 1525 were almost the same and was relatively higher
compared to the angle 0 and 30. The maximum value for skew angles
in the 1525 range for guide vanes was approximately 120%
compared with no guide vanes or a null slope. The performance of
the lotus turbine was minimally dependent on the slope angle between
15 and 25 of the barchan dune guide vanes.
2.2.2. Lift-type turbine
The designs for omni-directional power augmentation shrouds
system also apply in a lift-type VAWT. According to the design by
Chong et al. [50], an omni-direction-guide-vane (ODGV) that sur-
rounded a lift-type H-rotor VAWT was able to enhance the power
output of the system. As shown in Fig. 22, the ODGV system is
composed of upper and lower wall ducts with four pairs of guide vanes
around the VAWT. Each pair of guide vanes has tilted angles of 20 and
55 that surround the VAWT evenly. It can speed up and guide the
wind to an optimum angle of attack of the VAWT blade hence
improving the self-start behaviour. The ODGV can also reduce the
negative torque of the turbine, as well as the turbulence and rotational
speed uctuation. This augmentation device is suitable for turbulence
and weak wind ow from any direction without a yaw mechanism. The
guide vanes also serve as a protection feature against any wind turbine
failure. However, high initial capital cost is involved. Wind tunnel
testing and CFD simulations were conducted. The wind tunnel test was
conducted by employing a ve-bladed H-rotor VAWT. CFD simulations
were performed by FVM software, ANSYS Fluent, with SST k-
turbulence model deployed. Based on the results, the ODGV was able
to increase the rotational speed of the turbine by 182%. The power
output was improved by about 3.48 times at the peak torque compared
to the bare VAWT. Simulations that were carried out on single-bladed
K.H. Wong et al. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 73 (2017) 904921

Fig. 19. Schematic diagram and prototype of stator vanes [47].

VAWT showed that the torque output at TSR=2.5 and TR=5.1 were
increased by 58% and 39% respectively with the integration of the
ODGV.
The study of ODGV was further investigated by Wong et al. [51] by
using CFD simulations with the same turbulence model and parameter
setup. From his investigation, each of the guide vanes was divided into
two equal segments and bent at an angle of 10 as illustrated in Fig. 23.
The simulation result showed that the new design of guide vanes
further improves the wind ow especially at the second half cycle. The
CP increased by about 31.65% and 147.1% when compared to the
original ODGV and bare VAWT respectively.
A similar design was also introduced by Nobile et al. [52] where an
omnidirectional stator was placed around an H-rotor VAWT as shown
in Fig. 24. The stator is comprised of two conical surfaces at the top and
Fig. 21. Barchans dune guide vanes [48].
bottom, and eight straight vertical blades. The conical surfaces promote
turbulent mixing and hence reduce the back pressure inside the stator.
The straight blade is designed in NACA0018 airfoil prole to concen- augmentation system for use as a shield to reduce the negative torque
trate the wind mass ow rate before interacting with the rotor. The and to concentrate the wind ow to increase the positive torque. The
design of the stator with upstream converging surfaces and down- summary of the augmentation devices for single direction and omni-
stream diverging surfaces accelerate and decelerate the ow at specic directional ow are tabulated in Table 1.
regions. Moreover, the stator blades at upstream generated shading
regions that reduce the drag forces at the downstream region, creating 3. Perpendicular ow
a more positive torque in the downstream region, compared to the case
without the stator. The research was carried out by CFD simulation to Several innovative power augmentation systems proposed by
compare the VAWT with and without the stator. ANSYS CFX 14.0 researchers involve the change of wind ow direction. These systems
software with FVM discretization method was used as the numerical will collect wind ow from the horizontal direction and channel it
solver. The SST model that behaves well in adverse pressure gradient through ducting and exhaust the wind ow upward or downward
and ow separation was employed for this study. The performance of perpendicularly. The intake of the wind ow inlet to the augmentation
the straight blade at three dierent blade pitch angles, +30, 0, and system can be from a single direction or omnidirectional. The wind
30 was investigated. The simulation result showed that with the turbine that is employed in the system can be typical VAWTs or
stator, at TSR of 2.75, the average CP and CT was increased by about HAWTs. In the case of utilising HAWTs as the rotor, the turbine will be
3035% compared to the case without the stator. The best orientation orientated with the rotational axis vertically. The main function of this
of the straight blades was at 0. augmentation system in such case is to speed up the wind ow and to
From the review above, it shows that the main purpose of the power take advantage of the low self-start ability of HAWTs to increase the

Fig. 20. Side and top view of lotus shape wind turbine and guide blades [48,49].

912
K.H. Wong et al. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 73 (2017) 904921

Fig. 22. Omni-direction-guide-vane (ODGV) [50].

Fig. 23. a) Original b) new omni-direction-guide-vane (ODGV) design [51].

Fig. 24. Stator design by R. Nobile [52].

performance of the whole system [5862]. Table 2 summarises these
augmentation systems.
3.1. Single direction inlet
Ali et al. [63,64] have proposed a new VAWT which is suitable for
turbulent wind conditions by employing a cowling device. As shown in
Fig. 25, the shape of the cowling with a tail section allows even ow at
both sides of the cowling when the wind stream is aligned with the
cowling. When the cowling is not aligned, the tail section plays the role
of a yawing mechanism when dierent pressures on both sides of the
cowling create a resultant yaw force. The cowling is comprised of a vent
tube and chimney at the center of the VAWT where the vent tube
functions to allow wind ow over and recirculates in the VAWT,
whereas the chimney allows airstream to exhaust from the cowling
system. The chimney will also create a pressure dierence in the vent
tube hence inducing a ow swirling at the center of the VAWT. This low
pressure swirling is able to increase the driving force of the VAWT.

913
 Table 1
Summary of augmentation devices for single direction and omni-direction flow.

No. Authors Figure Technique/features Description Research method Type of VAWT Results/augmentation Other advantages Dis-advantages
gain
K.H. Wong et al.

Single ow
1 Mohamed et al. Fig. 2 Straight plate Obstacle shielding for CFD simulation 2 & 3-bladed 27.3% Improve self-starting Single wind direction
returning blade (Fluent, FVM, realizable Savonius rotor (2-bladed) & 27.5% capability
k- model) (3-bladed)
Simulation validated with
experimental data by Hayashi et al.
[53]
2 Golecha et al. Fig. 3 Straight plate Obstacle plate reduce Experiment 2-bladed 50% Increase net torque Single wind direction
negative torque Savonius rotor

3 Altan and Atilgan Fig. 4 Curtain plate Concentrate wind flow and Experiment & CFD simulation 3-bladed 38.5% Increase wind velocity Single wind direction
prevent negative torque (Fluent, FVM, standard k- Savonius rotor toward rotor
model)
Simulation validated by
experiment
4 Shikha et al. Fig. 5 Convergent nozzle Concentrate wind flow Experiment 2, 3 & 4-bladed 3.7 times Enhance power extraction Efficiency reduced after 6-
Savonius rotor bladed rotor
5 Shaughnessy and Fig. 6 V-shaped deflector Deflect wind flow Experiment 2-bladed 20% Wider range of TSR Highly dependent on
Probert Savonius rotor deflector position

6 Tartuferi et al. Fig. 7 Conveyor-deflector Deflect wind flow & reduce CFD simulation 2 airfoil bladed 20% Self-orienting relative to Rotor construction more
system negative torque (Fluent & MatLab, FVM, v2-f Savonius rotor wind direction complex
and RSM turbulence models)
Simulation validated by

914
experiment

7 El-Askary et al. Fig. 8 Guide plates Deflect wind flow to CFD simulation 2-bladed 1.6 times Wider range of TSR Strong vortex shedding
increase positive torque & (Fluent, FVM, SST k- model) Savonius rotor and wide wake for wind
shield negative torque Simulation validated with farm
experimental data by Fujisawa
et al. [54]
8 Irabu and Roy Fig. 9 Guide-box tunnel Concentrate wind flow and Experiment 2 & 3-bladed 1.23 times(2-bladed) & Two movable walls to Require manual or
prevent negative torque Savonius rotor 1.5 times(3-bladed) adjust inlet wind automatic control system
9 Muller et al. Fig. 10 Vertical axis Concentrate wind flow and Experiment Sistan wind 40% Integration to building Unknown optimum
resistance type prevent negative torque turbine number of blade, and effect
energy converter of blade shape

10 Chong et al. Fig. 11 PAGV Deflect wind flow to Experiment & CFD simulation Sistan wind 73.2% Additional features (rain Large size, visual impact
increase positive torque (Fluent, FVM, SST k- model) turbine water harvester, solar PV
Simulation validated with panel)
experimental data by Oler et al.
[55]
11 Takao et al. Fig. 12 Guide vane row Deflect wind flow to Experiment 5 straight-bladed 1.5 times Yawing tail vane Not suitable for low TSR
increase positive torque H-rotor
12 Kim and Gharib Fig. 13 Straight blade Deflect wind flow to Experiment 5 straight-bladed 26% Increases power output Limited to specific high
upstream deflector increase positive torque H-rotor solidity rotor
13 Santoli et al. Fig. 14 Duct Concentrate wind flow Experiment & CFD simulation 3 straight-bladed 125% Can be hybrid with PV Need a strong support
(Fluent, FVM) H-rotor array structure
Simulation validated by
experiment
Omni- direction
ow
14 Pope et al. Fig. 15 Zephyr stator vanes Reduce turbulence flow and Experiment & CFD simulation 5-bladed 22% High degree of solidity Cp value obtained is still
(continued on next page)
Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 73 (2017) 904921
 Table 1 (continued)

No. Authors Figure Technique/features Description Research method Type of VAWT Results/augmentation Other advantages Dis-advantages
gain
K.H. Wong et al.

deflect wind direction (Fluent, FVM, k- model) Savonius rotor advantage during low low
Simulation validated by wind speed
experiment
15 Yao et al. Fig. 16 Baffle plate tower Concentrate wind & CFD simulation 3-bladed 2.4 times Better shaft mounting Complex structure and
cowling prevent negative torque (Fluent, FVM, RNG k- model) Savonius rotor method visual impact
No simulation validation

16 Korprasertsak and Fig. 17 Wind booster Concentrate and deflect CFD simulation (XFlow) 2-bladed 50% Increase power & expand Lack of detail study
Leephakpreeda wind flow No simulation validation Savonius rotor operation range
17 Chen and Chen Fig. 18 Vortical stator Concentrate wind & Experiment 6 half-tube blade 910% Eliminate yaw mechanism Size and additional parts
asssembly prevent negative torque rotor
18 Burlando et al. Fig. 19 Airfoil shaped stator Concentrate and deflect Experiment & CFD simulation 3-bladed 10% Avoid speed up effects
wind flow (OpenFOAM, FVM, RNG k- Savonius rotor above or below stages
model)
Simulation validated by
experiment
19 Wang and Zhan Figs. 20 Guide blade & Concentrate and deflect CFD simulation 3-bladed 118%, 120% (barchan Good visual impact & Constrain with the type
and 21 barchan dune guide wind flow (Fluent, FVM, realizable Savonius rotor in dune guide vane) decorative and shape of wind turbine
blade k- model) lotus shape
Simulation validated with
experimental data by Gong et al.
[56]
20 Chong et al. Fig. 22 ODGV Concentrate, deflect wind Experiment & CFD simulation 5 straight-bladed 3.48 times Improve self-start ability, Initial capital cost
flow & prevent negative (Fluent, FVD, SST k- model) H-rotor longer operation hours
torque Simulation validated with

915
experimental data by Oler et al.
(1983)[55]
21 Wong et al. Fig. 23 ODGV Concentrate, deflect wind CFD simulation Single-bladed H- 147.1% Smoother flow version of No experimental work
flow & prevent negative (Fluent, FVD, SST k- model) rotor ODGV
torque Simulation validated with
experimental data by Oler et al.
(1983)[55]
22 Nobile et al. Fig. 24 Stator Concentrate flow and CFD simulation 3 straight-bladed 3035% Stator shading area
reduce downstream drag (ANSYS CFX 14.0, FVM, SST H-rotor reduce drag forces on
model) down stream
Simulation validated with
experimental data by Raciti
Castelli et al. [57]
Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 73 (2017) 904921
K.H. Wong et al. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 73 (2017) 904921

Wind tunnel testing and CFD simulation were conducted for the study.

Non- uniform wind distribution

However, lack of CFD simulation information is provided in the study.

Large size, strong support

From the wind tunnel test of the small-scale prototype, the rotational
Lack of simulation info

Single wind direction

speed was almost linear for the bare VAWT; however, with the cowling,
the rotational speed was increased signicantly.

structure needed
Disadvantages

Further investigation of the research was conducted by Loganathan

et al. [65] who employed a power-augmented cowling device on a
cyclonic type vertical axis wind turbine. The cowling device is able to
enhance the eciency of the wind turbine by directing the wind from
rear blades to the atmosphere hence reducing negative torque. The
Tail section allows self-alignment to wind

simplifies the operation and maintenance

design of the cowling encloses the turbine with a small clearance. When
the wind ows through the turbine, it pushes the concave advancing
Low noise, excellent self-start ability
Further improve output power with

Rotational parts are on the ground

blade and channels it out upward from the outlet. As shown in Fig. 26,
the cowling is constructed with two cylindrical-shaped shells. The half
of frontal area of the outer shell is kept closed to prevent wind ow
from hitting the returning convex blade, whereas the inner shell with
an opening allows the swept wind to discharge from the wind turbine
previous research

through the top outlet rather than the rear to reduce the negative
Advantages

torque created. Experiments were conducted on two dierent numbers

direction

of blades of the cyclonic turbines: 16 blades and 8 blades. From the

result, this cowling increased the rotational speed of the rotor
signicantly by about 26% for the 16-bladed wind turbine and 40%
Results/augmentation gain

for the 8-bladed wind turbine. The cowling performed better when
there was a lower number of a blade.
(16- bladed) & 40%

3.2. Omni-directional inlet

1.581.8 times
(8- bladed)
> 2 times

In previous studies on the perpendicular ow augmentation device,

the wind stream is only from one direction; therefore, a multi wind
26%

direction inlet is needed to capture wind from all directions. A new

concept of harnessing wind power was proposed by Allaei and
VAWT or HAWT
drag-type rotor

drag-type rotor
Type of VAWT

Andreopoulos [66,67] called INVELOX. The design signicantly in-

Multi-bladed

Multi-bladed

creases the output power of the wind turbine when compared with the
same wind turbine under the same wind conditions. Fig. 27 shows the
VAWT

schematic diagram and the eld test unit of the INVELOX. The ve
main components of the INVELOX are the intake (1), channeling and
accelerating wind pipe (2), wind speed booster by Venturi (3), wind
(ANSYS, FVM & COSMOL, FEM,

Simulation validated by eld test

(Star-CCM+, FVM, realizable k-

turbine (4), and the diuser (5). Allaei claimed that there are a few
CFD simulation & experiment

CFD simulation & experiment

CFD simulation & field test

advantages of the INVELOX which eliminate the need for tower-

Simulation validated by

mounted wind turbines that are large, complex, expensive, inecient,

realizable k- model)

and hazardous. The intake of the wind ow is omni-directional and

Research method

eliminates a yaw control. The design accelerated the ow in the

No validation

shrouded venturi section and through a diuser, where it is expanded

Experiment

experiment

and discharged to the ambient surroundings. The wind turbine can be a

model)

HAWT or a VAWT. Along with the generator, the wind turbine was
installed at an optimal location of the horizontal section at ground, and
saved on cost and time for any operation and maintenance work
Technique/features

compared to the traditional HAWT tower with the movable rotor at the
Omni-direction

top of the tower. Hence, it eliminated adverse environmental impact,

radar interference, and optical ickering issues. As the wind speed is
Summary of augmentation devices with perpendicular flow.

Cowling

Cowling

Invelox

shroud

increased before interacting with the wind turbine, it provides a lower

cut-in speed and increases the annual energy production rate. The
main problem of the system is its large size which needs strong support
structure. CFD simulation and eld tests were carried out. Both ANSYS
Figs. 31 and

(FVM discretization) and COSMOL (FEM discretization) software were

Fig. 27

Fig. 28

Fig. 29
Figure

used to compare with the eld test data with the realizable k-
32

turbulence model as the turbulent model in the study. The CFD

simulation showed that the speed ratio of the amplied wind speed
and free stream was about 1.581.80, while the eld tests showed that
Loganathan et al.

the average speed ratio was 1.8. The electrical energy generated by the
Andreopoulos

INVELOX is about 80560% more compared to the traditional wind

Ying et al.
Allaei and

turbine, with the total average energy production is about 314% for 8
Ali et al.
Authors

days.
Zhang et al. [68,69] performed experiments and CFD tests on a
Table 2

shroud design as shown in Fig. 28. The shroud was divided into ve
No.

similar chambers located along the circumference of the shroud which

916
K.H. Wong et al.
Fig. 25. (a) Novel wind turbine design by A.Ali (b) Parameters [63].
Fig. 26. Cyclonic VAWT with power augmented cowling [65].
function to capture approaching wind from all directions and eec-
tively divert it upward through an outlet at the top of the shroud where
the HAWT is located vertically at the downstream section. As a result,
the system can cater to various wind conditions including turbulence
wind streams. The approaching wind velocity was signicantly accel-
erated before the outlet because of the concentrator eect of entering a
smaller cross-sectional area of the nozzle structure.
As shown in Fig. 28, when the wind stream approached the shroud,
the wind stream only passed through one or two divisions of the
chamber, hence the distribution of the wind ow was not uniform and
the blades were under dierent aerodynamic forces. The research was
further investigated by Ying et al. [69] through numerical studies
validated by wind tunnel tests that incorporated an impulse turbine
with some guide vanes to solve the problem. The numerical approach
with realizable k- turbulence model was employed by using Star-CCM
+ CFD nite volume method software. The new impulse turbine located
at the outlet of the shroud chamber is able to have low noise and a good
self-start ability. Fig. 29 shows the static guide vanes and the wind
turbine rotor blade design where the wind streams approach the guide
vanes rst before interacting with the blades. The guide vanes are thin
plates with an arc front side and a straight rear part. The ow velocities
Fig. 27. (a) Schematic of INVELOX (b) Fielded INVELOX demo [66,67].
917
Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 73 (2017) 904921
are accelerated and approach at a better angle of attack for the airfoil
shaped rotor blade. Dierent numbers of blades and guide vanes were
investigated in the study and it was found that 20 blades was the
optimal number of blades for the impulse turbine. The wind tunnel test
showed that this innovative power-augmented omni-ow shroud gave
excellent self-start capability with a wind velocity as low as 1.6 m/s.
The maximum CP of the turbine was about 0.060.12 for 2040% non-
uniform ow area; about 2965% lower than for uniform ow. Table 2
shows the summary of augmentation devices with perpendicular ow.
4. Building integrated augmentation devices
Almost all existing wind turbines are stand-alone HAWT or tower
mounted VAWT which are normally installed at farms or oshore. As
wind energy generation is getting popular, the installation of wind
turbines in urban area is increasing, where the power generated can be
directly supplied to the building and can reduce power loss due to a
long distance grid line. Building integrated wind turbines (BIWTs) can
be classied into two types: those that use one or a few large-sized
turbines installed at high rise buildings, or those using many micro
wind turbines installed at the corner or ridge of a building [70]. One of
the famous BIWT is at the Bahrain World Trade Center. There are a few
desirable criteria for BIWTs and these include the integration of visual
aesthetics, ow augmentation, modularity, good performance in tur-
bulent conditions, ease of installation, and applicability at various
locations [71].
In urban areas, the wind stream is normally highly turbulent. When
wind ows through a building, positive pressure is created on the
windward face and negative pressure is created at the side and leeward
faces due to the wake and vortices. The pressure dierence accelerates
the wind ow and implies that the best locations for wind turbine
installation are at the edge, corner, ridge, or in special architectural
passages [72]. By making use of the building shape and ow pattern,
K.H. Wong et al. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 73 (2017) 904921

Fig. 28. Omni-ow wind shroud [68,69].

ridges or the corner of a building to maximise the power output from

the wind ow pattern. Fixing method, load distribution and vibration
on the building are the main considerations nevertheless.
Krishnan and Paraschivoiu [73] suggested installing a diuser-
shaped shroud for a wind turbine system on the roof top of a building.
The study was to redesign and optimize a current prototype created by
GroupeLML by 3D simulation. ANSYS Fluent which is based on the
nite volume method was used in the analysis. The turbulence model
was the realizable k- and the results are validated with the experi-
mental data by Hayashi et al.[53]. The diuser shroud accelerates the
wind ow over a building and increases the performance of the wind
turbine system. Fig. 31(a) shows the original design of the diuser
shroud system. It is comprised of a ramp and a door in front of the
turbine that acts as a converging duct. There are two doors at the back
Fig. 29. Guide vanes and rotor blades arrangement for the omni-direction ow shroud
for the wind to discharge after passing through the wind turbine. A
[68,69].
cylindrical-shaped cup wind turbine that is similar to the Savonius
rotor is used in the system. A few congurations of the design were
ow can be augmented around the building at the urban area. Several
simulated in the study including the additional ange to the top-
augmentation devices proposed are purposely designed to be retro-
straightened roof, the shape of the top roof, and also on the removal of
tted or integrated onto a building for power generation.
the front door. Fig. 31(b) shows the optimal nal design with the front
A new modular form of wind turbine system was introduced by
corner removed, and the turbine located closer to the edge of the
Sharpe and Proven [71] called Crossex which uses the Darrieus wind
building. The power coecient of the improved design was increased
turbine as the rotor. It employed a lightweight cowling system that can
from 0.135 to 0.34.
provide ow augmentation as well as improve the visual impact when
Ordinarily, building integrated wind turbines are installed at the
integrated to an existing building or new building. The design mounts a
rooftop or the corner of a building. Park et al. [70] proposed the idea of
Darrieus wind turbine with a shaft held at both ends together with a
mounting wind turbines on the faade with the ow-augmented guide
rigid cowling that enables it to be mounted on a building vertically or
vanes. As shown in Fig. 32, the idea is to ll the empty faade of the
horizontally. This system does not need a yawing mechanism. The
building, except for the window, with wind turbines for power
cowling augments and concentrates the wind ow before it reaches the
generation. The system can be modularized, easily installed, and is
rotor blade. The presence of turbulent ow and vortex shedding around
detachable from the building. The guide vane is able to converge and
the building was taken into consideration by the smooth surface and
accelerate the incoming wind eectively, hence increasing the wind
shape of the cowling. The location of the Crossex system installed at
speed. However, a few parameters that include the design and empty
the corner of the building is crucial in order to exploit highly
spacing behind the guide vanes are critical for the performance of the
concentrated wind ow. As shown in Fig. 30, the Crossex system
system. The large empty spacing enables the wind to ow out easily
can be combined in modular form and is suitable for installation at the

Fig. 30. (a) Crossex turbine (b) Crossex integrated with building [71].

918
K.H. Wong et al.
Fig. 31. (a) Original design of the power augmented shroud (b) Streamline diagram for the nal design [73].
Fig. 32. Schematic diagram of the BIWT with guide vanes [70].
Fig. 33. V-shape roof with VAWTs [74].
which creates a greater pressure dierence. It is an important factor for
the faade mounted system as the wind speed is low with high static
pressure compared to the edge or the corner of a building. The
proposed idea provides a large area for installation, better structural
strength, and aesthetic as the wind turbines are covered by the guide
vanes. A series of computational simulations have been conducted on
the design and the distance between the guide vanes, the number of
rotor blades, and the shape of the rotor blades in order to get an
optimal design for the wind tunnel test. From the simulation, the
smaller spacing between guide vanes increased the wind speed
signicantly; however the swept area is small. On the other hand,
919
Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 73 (2017) 904921
performance for the large distance between the guide vanes is low due
to the narrow spacing behind the wind turbine for discharge. It was
found that the rotor diameter with 30 cm generated the highest torque.
The simulation was conducted by employing the standard k- turbu-
lence model; however, the software used is not disclosed. The simula-
tion also showed that there is no trend regarding the number of blades
and the shape of the blades; however, the eight-bladed Savonius rotor
gave the highest performance. Wind tunnel tests were conducted on the
optimal design. The wind ow at the entrance and exit of the guide
vanes was augmented to more than 300% for a range of wind speeds.
The power coecient, CP, from the experiment was aligned with the
calculation where the average value was 0.381. Anyhow, at building
faade is the constraint of the design.
In the recent publication by Chong et al. [74], they employed
VAWTs mounted in between the gable roof and the V-shape roof
structure to generate electricity for the building usage. This design can
be retrotted to an existing building. As shown in Fig. 33, the VAWTs
are arranged horizontally with the rotational axis parallel to the ridge of
the roof. The upper V-shape roof and the gable roof which acts as a
wind concentrator and diuser create a Venturi eect and increase the
wind speed approaching the VAWTs, hence improving the system
performance. From the experiment, the averaged wind speed was
increased about 36%. With the weather data collected at a city, Subang
in Malaysia, they claimed that the energy generated by the system is
approximately 773.16kWh/year. This roof design not only harvests
energy from the wind, but it also employs solar photovoltaic panels for
K.H. Wong et al.
energy generation. Water harvesting, transparent roof, and ventilation
vents are additional features in the system. However, the main draw-
back of this design is that the VAWTs are highly dependent on the wind
direction.
5. Conclusion
Since centuries ago, high energy eciency has always been a
desired objective for all machines. Researchers and engineers are
always being challenged to seek for the solution to use a smaller wind
turbine to produce a higher energy output whilst maximising cost
saving and simplifying design. Low self-starting ability, poor initial
torque, and low coecient of power, CP, are some of the main
drawbacks of the VAWT. This paper will work as a guideline to provide
useful knowledge and recent VAWT power augmentation technology
for researchers in their future studies. From the review, ow augmen-
tation techniques are elaborated on and discussed based on recent
research. It is proven that the ow augmentation systems are able to
increase the performance of the VAWT signicantly in terms of self-
start and CP value. However, an optimum design is necessary to ensure
that the blockage of the incoming wind stream is lessened, and at the
same time maximises the positive torque. From the present review, the
ow augmentation methods and prominent points are summarised
below:
(a) The ow augmentation devices can be broadly classied into a
single direction ow inlet or an omni-direction ow inlet. For
single direction ow inlet, the augmented device is placed at the
upwind or at the side of the VAWT, and a yawing mechanism is
needed for wind ow from dierent directions. For the omni-
direction ow inlet, the augmentation device evenly surrounds the
VAWT with a repeating pattern which can capture wind ow from
any direction. For the outlet ow of the augmentation device, it can
also be classied into two groups that are: parallel to the inlet ow
and perpendicular to the inlet ow.
(b) Augmentation devices include the diuser, guide vanes, stator,
shroud, plate, deector, or duct with the basic principle of
obtaining a higher mass ow rate for the wind stream by
converging the wind ow from a larger ow area into a smaller
area. With this Venturi eect, the wind velocity increases before
interacting with the rotor blade and thus creates a higher positive
torque on the VAWT. The increase of the wind ow enables a
better self-start behaviour and higher eciency.
(c) The augmentation device not only increases the positive torque,
but also reduces the negative torque which acts in the counter
direction especially for the drag-type VAWT. The augmentation
device is used to change the wind ow path to the advancing blade
(concave surface), creating a higher positive torque, and for its use
as a shield to deect the wind ow away from the returning blade
(convex surface) of the Savonius rotor.
(d) For the lift-type turbine, the wind path is changed to a better angle
of attack of the airfoil shaped blade and creates a higher lift force to
rotate the blade. The augmentation device reduces the negative
torque at the second half revolution of the VAWT.
(e) For the wind ow is discharged from the system upward or
downward for the perpendicular outlet ow augmentation devices.
The wind turbine performance is improved by concentrating the
wind ow to increase the wind speed.
(f) The review shows that for building mounted augmentation sys-
tems, evidently, the edge or corner of a building is the best location
for the system, where the wind speed is highest due to the great
pressure dierence, and the ow is higher than the approaching
free- stream.
(g) Other advantages provided by the augmentation system include
improved the self-starting capability, wider wind speed operation
range, yawing mechanism, good visual impact, bird strike preven-
920
Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 73 (2017) 904921
tion, turbine shedding prevention, and additional features to the
system (example: rainwater harvester and solar PV panel)
(h) Conversely, additional parts, larger size, more complex construc-
tion, strong vortex shedding, wide wake eect, need for a strong
support structure, visual impact, high initial capital cost and the
eciency being highly dependent on the position of the deector
are the drawbacks.
Acknowledgment
The authors would like to thank the University of Malaya for the
research grant allocated under Postgraduate Research Grant (PG150-
2016A) and RU Grant (RU018G-2016). Special appreciation is also
credited to the Ministry of Higher Education Malaysia (MOHE) for the
research grant (Prototype Research Grant Scheme, PRGS PR005-
2016).
References
[1] Valipour M, Singh VP. Global experiences on wastewater irrigation: challenges and
Prospects. In: Maheshwari B, Singh VP, Thoradeniya B, editors. Balanced urban
development: options and strategies for liveable cities. Cham: Springer
International Publishing; 2016. p. 289327.
[2] Yannopoulos S, Lyberatos G, Theodossiou N, Li W, Valipour M, Tamburrino A,
et al. Evolution of water lifting devices (Pumps) over the Centuries Worldwide.
Water 2015;7:5031.
[3] Global Wind Energy Council. Greenpeace International. Global wind energy out-
look 2014; October 2014.
[4] Ross I, Altman A. Wind tunnel blockage corrections: review and application to
Savonius vertical-axis wind turbines. J Wind Eng Ind Aerodyn 2011;99:52338.
[5] Li Q, Maeda T, Kamada Y, Murata J, Furukawa K, Yamamoto M. The inuence of
ow eld and aerodynamic forces on a straight-bladed vertical axis wind turbine.
Energy 2016;111:26071.
[6] Aslam Bhutta MM, Hayat N, Farooq AU, Ali Z, Jamil SR, Hussain Z. Vertical axis
wind turbine a review of various congurations and design techniques. Renew
Sustain Energy Rev 2012;16:192639.
[7] Toja-Silva F, Colmenar-Santos A, Castro-Gil M. Urban wind energy exploitation
systems: behaviour under multidirectional ow conditionsopportunities and
challenges. Renew Sustain Energy Rev 2013;24:36478.
[8] Eriksson S, Bernho H, Leijon M. Evaluation of dierent turbine concepts for wind
power. Renew Sustain Energy Rev 2008;12:141934.
[9] Akwa JV, Vielmo HA, Petry AP. A review on the performance of Savonius wind
turbines. Renew Sustain Energy Rev 2012;16:305464.
[10] Roy S, Saha UK. Review on the numerical investigations into the design and
development of Savonius wind rotors. Renew Sustain Energy Rev 2013;24:7383.
[11] Jin X, Zhao G, Gao K, Ju W. Darrieus vertical axis wind turbine: basic research
methods. Renew Sustain Energy Rev 2015;42:21225.
[12] Riegler H. HAWT versus VAWT. Small VAWTs nd a clear nicheRefocus 2003;
2003, [446 July/August].
[13] Elkhoury M, Kiwata T, Aoun E. Experimental and numerical investigation of a
three-dimensional vertical-axis wind turbine with variable-pitch. J Wind Eng Ind
Aerodyn 2015;139:11123.
[14] Zeiner-Gundersen DH. A vertical axis hydrodynamic turbine with exible foils,
passive pitching, and low tip speed ratio achieves near constant RPM. Energy
2014;77:297304.
[15] Chougule PD, Rosendahl L, Nielsen SRK. Experimental study of the eect of a slat
angle on double-element airfoil and application in vertical axis wind turbine. Ships
Oshore Struct 2015;10:17682.
[16] Reupke P, Probert SD. Slatted-blade Savonius wind-rotors. Appl Energy
1991;40:6575.
[17] Chen J, Yang HX, Yang M, Xu HT. The eect of the opening ratio and location on
the performance of a novel vertical axis Darrieus turbine. Energy 2015;89:81934.
[18] Ismail MF, Vijayaraghavan K. The eects of aerofoil prole modication on a
vertical axis wind turbine performance. Energy 2015;80:2031.
[19] Hara Y, Kawamura T, Akimoto H, Tanaka K, Nakamura T, Mizumukai K. Predicting
doube-blade vertical axis wind turbine performance by a quadruple-multiple
streamtube model. Int J Fluid Mach Syst 2014;7:1627.
[20] Mohamed MH, Janiga G, Pap E, Thvenin D. Optimization of Savonius turbines
using an obstacle shielding the returning blade. Renew Energy 2010;35:261826.
[21] Mohamed MH, Janiga G, Pap E, Thvenin D. Optimal blade shape of a modied
Savonius turbine using an obstacle shielding the returning blade. Energy Convers
Manag 2011;52:23642.
[22] Roy S, Saha UK. Review of experimental investigations into the design, perfor-
mance and optimization of the Savonius rotor. J Power Energy 2013;227:52842.
[23] Golecha K, Eldho TI, Prabhu SV. Inuence of the deector plate on the
performance of modied Savonius water turbine. Appl Energy 2011;88:320717.
[24] Altan BD, Atlgan M, zdamar A. An experimental study on improvement of a
Savonius rotor performance with curtaining. Exp Therm Fluid Sci 2008;32:16738.
[25] Altan BD, Atlgan M. An experimental and numerical study on the improvement of
the performance of Savonius wind rotor. Energy Convers Manag 2008;49:342532.
K.H. Wong et al.
[26] Altan BD, Atlgan M. The use of a curtain design to increase the performance level
of a Savonius wind rotors. Renew Energy 2010;35:8219.
[27] Shikha Bhatti TS, Kothari DP. Vertical axis wind rotor with concentration by [50]
convergent nozzles. Wind Eng 2003;27:5559.
[28] Shaughnessy BM, Probert SD. Partially-blocked savonius rotor. Appl Energy
1992;43:23949. [51]
[29] Tartuferi M, D'Alessandro V, Montelpare S, Ricci R. Enhancement of Savonius
wind rotor aerodynamic performance: a computational study of new blade shapes
and curtain systems. Energy 2015;79:37184. [52]
[30] Jamieson P. Innovation in wind turbine design. United Kingdom: John Wiley &
Sons Ltd; 2011.
[31] El-Askary WA, Nasef MH, AbdEl-hamid AA, Gad HE. Harvesting wind energy for [53]
improving performance of Savonius rotor. J Wind Eng Ind Aerodyn
2015;139:815. [54]
[32] Irabu K, Roy JN. Characteristics of wind power on Savonius rotor using a guide-box
tunnel. Exp Therm Fluid Sci 2007;32:5806. [55]
[33] Mller G, Jentsch MF, Stoddart E. Vertical axis resistance type wind turbines for
use in buildings. Renew Energy 2009;34:140712. [56]
[34] Chong WT, Fazlizan A, Poh SC, Pan KC, Ping HW. Early development of an
innovative building integrated wind, solar and rain water harvester for urban high [57]
rise application. Energy Build 2012;47:2017.
[35] Chong WT, Pan KC, Poh SC, Fazlizan A, Oon CS, Badarudin A, et al. Performance [58]
investigation of a power augmented vertical axis wind turbine for urban high-rise
application. Renew Energy 2013;51:38897. [59]
[36] Takao M, Kuma H, Maeda T, Kamada Y, Oki M, Minoda A. A straight-bladed
vertical axis wind turbine with a directed guide vane row eect of guide vane [60]
geometry on the performance . J Therm Sci 2009;18:547.
[37] Takao M, Takita H, Saito Y, Maeda T, Kamada Y, Toshimitsu K. Experimental study [61]
of a straight-bladed vertical axis wind turbine with a directed guide vane row. In:
Proceedings of the International Conference on Ocean, Oshore and Arctic [62]
Engineering. Honolulu, Hawaii, USA; 2009.
[38] Kim D, Gharib M. Eciency improvement of straight-bladed vertical-axis wind [63]
turbines with an upstream deector. J Wind Eng Ind Aerodyn 2013;115:4852.
[39] Kim D, Gharib M. Unsteady loading of a vertical-axis turbine in the interaction with [64]
an upstream deector. Exp Fluids 2014;55:111.
[40] de Santoli L, Albo A, Astiaso Garcia D, Bruschi D, Cumo F. A preliminary energy [65]
and environmental assessment of a micro wind turbine prototype in natural
protected areas. Sustain Energy Technol Assess 2014;8:4256.
[41] Pope K, Rodrigues V, Doyle R, Tsopelas A, Gravelsins R, Naterer GF, et al. Eects of [66]
stator vanes on power coecients of a zephyr vertical axis wind turbine. Renew
Energy 2010;35:104351. [67]
[42] Pope K, Dincer I, Naterer GF. Energy and exergy eciency comparison of
horizontal and vertical axis wind turbines. Renew Energy 2010;35:210213. [68]
[43] Yao YX, Tang ZP, Wang XW. Design based on a parametric analysis of a drag driven
VAWT with a tower cowling. J Wind Eng Ind Aerodyn 2013;116:329. [69]
[44] Korprasertsak N, Leephakpreeda T. CFD-Based power analysis on low speed
vertical axis wind turbines with wind boosters. Energy Procedia 2015;79:9638. [70]
[45] Korprasertsak N, Leephakpreeda T. Analysis and optimal design of wind boosters
for Vertical Axis wind Turbines at low wind speed. J Wind Eng Ind Aerodyn [71]
2016;159:918.
[46] Chen T-Y, Chen Y-Y. Developing a vortical stator assembly to improve the [72]
performance of Drag-Type vertical-axis wind turbines. J Mech 2015;31:6939.
[47] Burlando M, Ricci A, Freda A, Repetto MP. Numerical and experimental methods [73]
to investigate the behaviour of vertical-axis wind turbines with stators. J Wind Eng
Ind Aerodyn 2015;144:12533. [74]
[48] Wang Y-F, Zhan M-S. Eect of barchan dune guide blades on the performance of a
lotus-shaped micro-wind turbine. J Wind Eng Ind Aerodyn 2015;136:3443.
[49] Wang Y-F, Zhan M-S. Guide blades' feasibility evaluation and its contribution to
921
Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 73 (2017) 904921
performance of a micro-wind turbine resembling lotus in shape. Energy Build
2014;82:70918.
Chong WT, Fazlizan A, Poh SC, Pan KC, Hew WP, Hsiao FB. The design, simulation
and testing of an urban vertical axis wind turbine with the omni-direction-guide-
vane. Appl Energy 2013;112:6019.
Wong KH, Chong WT, Yap HT, Fazlizan A, Omar WZW, Poh SC, et al. The design
and ow simulation of a power-augmented shroud for urban wind turbine system.
Energy Procedia 2014;61:12758.
Nobile R, Vahdati M, Barlow JF, Mewburn-Crook A. Unsteady ow simulation of a
vertical axis augmented wind turbine: a two-dimensional study. J Wind Eng Ind
Aerodyn 2014;125:16879.
Tsutomu Hayashi YL, Hara Yutaka. Wind tunnel tests on a dierent phase three-
stage Savonius Rotor. Jsme Int J B-Fluid T 2005;48:916.
Fujisawa N, Gotoh F. Visualization study of the ow in and around a Savonius
rotor. Exp Fluids 1992;12:40712.
Oler JHS JW, Im BJ, Graham GH. Dynamic stall regulation of the darrieus turbine.
Sandia Report; SAND83-7029; 1983.
Gong W, Ibbetson A. A wind tunnel study of turbulent ow over model hills.
Bound-Layer Meteorol 1989;49:11348.
Raciti Castelli M, Englaro A, Benini E. The Darrieus wind turbine: proposal for a
new performance prediction model based on CFD. Energy 2011;36:491934.
Hu S-Y, Cheng J-H. Innovatory designs for ducted wind turbines. Renew Energy
2008;33:14918.
Ahmed NA. A novel small scale ecient wind turbine for power generation. Renew
Energy 2013;57:7985.
Sureshan V. Omni-directional wind turbine. Singapore: United State: Katru Eco-
Energy Group Pte. Ltd; 2008.
Quick D. IMPLUX: Omni-directional, vertical axis wind turbine for urban
environments; 2011.
Grant A, Kelly N. A ducted wind turbine model for building simulation. Build Serv
Eng Res Technol 2004;25:33949.
Ali A, Golde S, Alam F, Moria H. Experimental and computational study of a micro
vertical axis wind turbine. Procedia Eng 2012;49:25462.
Alam F, Golde S. An aerodynamic study of a micro scale vertical axis wind turbine.
Procedia Eng 2013;56:56872.
Loganathan B, Chowdhury H, Mustary I, Alam F. An experimental study of a
cyclonic vertical axis wind turbine for domestic scale power generation. Procedia
Eng 2015;105:68691.
Allaei D, Tarnowski D, Andreopoulos Y. INVELOX with multiple wind turbine
generator systems. Energy 2015;93:103040.
Allaei D, Andreopoulos Y. INVELOX: description of a new concept in wind power
and its performance evaluation. Energy 2014;69:33644.
Zhang X, Chen Y, Calay R. Modelling and analysis of a novel wind turbine structure.
Int J Model Identif Control 2013;19:1429.
Ying P, Chen YK, Xu YG, Tian Y. Computational and experimental investigations of
an omni-ow wind turbine. Appl Energy 2015;146:7483.
Jeongsu P, Hyung-Jo J, Seung-Woo L, Jiyoung P. A new building-integrated wind
turbine system utilizing the building. Energies 2015;8:1184670, [19961073].
Sharpe T, Proven G. Crossex: concept and early development of a true building
integrated wind turbine. Energy Build 2010;42:236575.
Ayhan D, Salam . A technical review of building-mounted wind power systems
and a sample simulation model. Renew Sustain Energy Rev 2012;16:10409.
Krishnan A, Paraschivoiu M 3D analysis of building mounted VAWT with diuser
shaped shroud. Sustainable Cities and Society.
Chong WT, Wang XH, Wong KH, Mojumder JC, Poh SC, Saw LH, et al.
Performance assessment of a hybrid solar-wind-rain eco-roof system for buildings.
Energy Build 2016;127:102842.