Hydrodynamic Performance Evaluation of a Double Stage Savonius Turbine on River Ogun, South-Western Nigeria

Moses Adeniyi Babatunde, Laniyi Laniran Ladokun, M A Oke

Abstract

This study evaluates the hydrodynamic performance of a double-stage Savonius hydrokinetic turbine with a rotor diameter of 0.3m, a rotor height of 0.6m, and a swept area of 0.18 m², designed for deployment in the River Ogun, Southwestern Nigeria. The objective is to assess the turbine's suitability for harnessing energy from low-head rivers. The methodology involved testing the turbine in a riverine environment at selected flow velocities and depths, evaluating its power coefficient (Cp), Tip Speed Ratio (TSR), and power output. The results show that the turbine achieves a maximum Cp of 0.321 at a TSR of 0.5 and a peak power output of 100.9 W at a flow velocity of 1.55 m/s and angular velocity of 5.26 rad/s, and with a cut-in speed of approximately 1.48 m/s. Across all test conditions, the average Cp was approximately 0.3013, indicating an energy conversion efficiency of about 30.1% relative to the total available kinetic power, which is 335.15 W. This result highlights the double-stage Savonius turbine’s capacity to extract energy under ultra-low head and low-velocity conditions efficiently and highlights the importance of optimizing turbine design and operating conditions for improved energy generation efficiency.

Full Text:

PDF

References

  1. M. S. Khani, Y. Shahsavani, M. Mehraein, and O. Kisi, “Performance evaluation of the Savonius hydrokinetic turbine using soft computing techniques,” Renew. Energy, vol. 215, article no. 118906, 2023.

  2. M. B. Salleh, N. M. Kamaruddin, and Z. Mohamed-Kassim, “Savonius hydrokinetic turbines for a sustainable river-based energy extraction: A review of the technology and potential applications in Malaysia,” Sustain. Energy Technol. Assess., vol. 36, article no. 100554, 2019.

  3. A. Kumar and R. P. Saini, “Performance parameters of Savonius type hydrokinetic turbine - A review,” Renew. Sustain. Energy Rev., vol. 64, pp. 289-310, 2016.

  4. M. Zemamou, M. Aggour, and A. Toumi, “Review of Savonius wind turbine design and performance,” Energy Proc., vol. 141, pp. 383-388, 2017.

  5. T. G. Shanegowda, C. M. Shashikumar, V. Gumtapure, and V. Madav, “Comprehensive analysis of blade geometry effects on Savonius hydrokinetic turbine efficiency: Pathways to clean energy,” Energy Convers. Manag.: X, vol. 24, article no. 100762, 2024.

  6. R. Patel and V. Patel, “Performance analysis of Savonius hydrokinetic turbine using ‘C’ shaped Deflector,” Energy Sources Part A: Recovery Util. Environ. Eff., vol. 44, no. 3, pp. 6618-6631, 2022.

  7. K. T. Wu, K. H. Lo, R. C. Kao, and S. J. Hwang, “Numerical and Experimental Investigation of the Effect of Design Parameters on Savonius-Type Hydrokinetic Turbine Performance,” Energies, vol. 15, no. 5, article no. 1856, 2022.

  8. G. Mihai and D. Nicusor, “Review of Specific Performance Parameters of Vertical Wind Turbine Rotors Based on the SAVONIUS Type,” Energies, vol. 14, article no. 1962, 2021.

  9. N. R. Maldar, C. Y. Ng, and E. Oguz, “A review of the optimization studies for Savonius turbine considering hydrokinetic applications,” Energy Convers. Manag., vol. 226, article no. 113495, 2020.

  10. M. S. Khani, Y. Shahsavani, M. Mehraein, M. H. S. Rad, and A. A. Nikbakhsh, “Evaluation of the performance of the Savonius hydrokinetic turbines in the straight and curved channels using advanced machine learning methods,” Energy, vol. 290, article no. 130189, 2024.

  11. H. Xia, S. Zhang, R. Jia, H. Qiu, and S. Xu, “Blade shape optimization of Savonius wind turbine using radial based function model and marine predator algorithm,” Energy Rep., vol. 8, pp. 12366-12378, 2022.

  12. R. Afify, E. Saber, and H. Awad, “Investigation of an innovative Savonius turbine in practice,” Sci. Rep., vol. 15, article no. 6937, 2025.

  13. L. N. Azadani and M. Saleh, “Effect of blade aspect ratio on the performance of a pair of vertical axis wind turbines,” Ocean Eng., vol. 265, article no. 112627, 2022.

  14. D. Ghane and V. Wakchaure, “Comprehensive Analysis of Blade Design Parameters and its Influence on Performance of Micro Wind Turbine,” J. Mines Met. Fuels, vol. 73, no. 5, pp. 1287-1292, 2025.

  15. G. Ayadju, I. W. Ujevwerume, and A. O. Edema, “Shaft design analysis of a 0.1 kW horizontal axis wind turbine,” J. Afr. Sustain. Dev., vol. 20, no. 2, 2020.

  16. L. L. Ladokun, B. F. Sule, K. R. Ajao, and A. G. Adeogun, “Resource assessment and feasibility study for the generation of hydrokinetic power in the tailwaters of selected hydropower stations in Nigeria,” Water Sci., vol. 32, no. 2, pp. 338-354, 2018.

  17. M. A. Kamoji, S. B. Kedare, and S. V. Prabhu, “Experimental investigations on single stage modified Savonius rotor,” Appl. Energy, vol. 86, no. 7-8, pp. 1064-1073, 2009.

  18. M. E. Nimvari, H. Fatahian, and E. Fatahian, “Performance improvement of a Savonius vertical axis wind turbine using a porous deflector,” Energy Convers. Manag., vol. 220, article no. 113062, 2020.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.20961/mekanika.v24i2.104492

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.