Blade Configurations and Performance of the Savonius Rotor With Application to an Irrigation System in Indonesia

This paper describes results of a systematic wind tunnel study aimed at development of the wind-operated irrigation system suitable for meeting needs of small farms in Indonesia. Using several models of the single-stage Savonius configuration, influence of the blade gapsize and overlap on the output is assessed and their favourable combination established for a given blade geometry. This is followed by the performance data on a larger, self-starting, two-stage model operating in conjunction with several different pumps. Results suggest that the two-stage configuration with a projected blade area of 1.12 m² is capable of delivering 250 L/hr to a head of 4 m at a windspeed of around 16 km/hr using a gear pump. The performance appears quite promising, and a prototype is being designed to meet the objective. A preliminary study aimed at load matching through the generator field control is in progress.