Wind Tunnel Tests on a High Rotational Urban Savonius Turbine

Savonius wind turbines are gaining attention for their low-maintenance design and suitability for small-scale distributed power generation. The THRUST (The High Rotational Urban Savonius Turbine) project focuses on a small diameter Savonius rotor designed to withstand high wind speeds without a braking system. The experimental investigation was conducted in the Giovanni Solari Wind Tunnel at the University of Genoa, under smooth and turbulent flow. In addition to assessing flow conditions, key performance parameters such as torque, voltage, current, rotational speed, and rotor-generated noise were measured in the wind tunnel. Further investigations, including CFD simulations, have allowed to explore these effects in more detail and to interpret the rate of effective wind velocity increase caused by the wind tunnel blockage due to the presence of the wind turbine. This paper outlines the activities conducted, providing the description of the model, experiments, and measurements. As an example, a selection of results is presented, including power and torque curves, as well as acoustic emission measurements recorded near the rotor. The findings indicate that the Savonius rotor can sustain energy generation even at high wind speeds and turbulence, making it a viable solution for wind energy production in challenging conditions.