Aerospace/Aviation/windmills

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Expert: Mark Janus - 8/31/2009


Question

wind001
Hello Mark,
I am trying to make a windmill. Please look at my sketch. Can you think of an answer to my two questions please?

Many thanks.
Mike

Answer
This type of windmill is called a Savonius design basically you don't have to let the flow go through the advancing side, there just needs to be a difference in the drag side vs side....  that way it will begin to spin because one side will have more drag than the other....  Savonius designs are based on drag....   You could use some sort of material that has a bias (in the weave) such that when the wind blows through one way, you get one drag value, and when it blows through the other you get a different value....  I believe a weave could be designed for that purpose...

Thanx for the question,
mj

Mark Janus

Expertise

I can answer questions regarding aerodynamics, fluid flow, and computational simulations.

Experience

turbomachinery flow analysis, computational fluid dynamics

Organizations
Mississippi State University

AIAA

SIAM

Publications
AIAA SIAM

Education/Credentials
Ph.D. in Aerospace Engineering

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