A wind turbine is a man-made technology that is used to alter the energy created by the winds into mechanical or electrical energy.
These turbines have numerous uses depending on the size of the blades the short blades can be used to power traffic signals, to run boats, etc while the turbines with longer blades can be used for domestic supply, also it is one of the most common renewable resources of energy.
Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine vs Vertical Axis Wind Turbine
The difference between Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine and Vertical Axis Wind Turbine is mentioned in their name themselves. The direction of the turbine to work in the case of Horizontal Axis Wind turbine is Horizontal while the direction of the turbine to work in the case of Vertical Axis Wind Turbine is vertical. The tower built for generating wind power must be powerful, and the strength of it should be high while the tower of VAWT is quite simple.
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Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine is mainly found near an urban area and generates approximately 100kW energy for residential or daily use purposes.
The blade of these wind turbines is placed such accordingly that the direction of the wind and the position of blades appears to be parallel.
However, the maintenance of these wind turbines is very difficult but the blades can run even in medium wind conditions.
Vertical Axis Wind Turbine is not many common types of wind turbines that are found but despite this, the energy production is much sufficient for some daily work purposes.
The blades in the vertical axis wind turbine are placed accordingly that the direction of the wind and the position of the vertical blades are perpendicular to each other. Also unlike, horizontal axis wind turbine the maintenance of the turbine is easy.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine | Vertical Axis Wind Turbine |
|---|---|---|
| Acronym Used | HAWT | VAWT |
| Rotating Axis | The position of the blades towards the wind is parallel | The position of the blades towards the wind is perpendicular |
| Rotor Shifts | Horizontal direction | Vertical direction |
| The face of rotor shift | Towards the wind | In any direction |
| Maintenance | Difficult | Easy |
| Power Consumption | More | Less |
| Efficiency | More | Less |
| Used in Places | A place with the streamlined wind condition | A place with turbulent wind condition |
| Operating Condition | Medium wind conditions | Low wind conditions |
What is Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine?
Horizontal Axis Wind Turbines are common turbines that are built-in in large open areas and at a very high point. This is due to the continuous receiving flow of the wind.
The wind turbine consists of the blades in such a manner that they appear to be parallel with the direction of the wind. And so the face of the rotor shifts is in the horizontal direction.
The main components comprising the wind turbine are – brakes, hub, blades, nacelle, power transmission system, yaw control, generator, and tower. The noise production is also very low. And these turbines can be operated in medium wind conditions also.
The construction of the tower must be strong and the installation of a single horizontal axis wind turbine is very costly. Also, the reason behind such huge cost involves the complexity in its design where the motor and the gearbox are installed over the top.
What is Vertical Axis Wind Turbine?
Vertical Axis Wind Turbines are not much the common type of wind turbine used around although they are found in an urban area and produce energy that can be much sufficient for a house to run.
The wind turbines can be expressed in the abbreviation called VAWT and are also called the cross-wind axis machines.
This is so because of the presence of the blades in the direction of the wind and it appears to be perpendicular which allows the wind to flow from any direction.
The above condition is the biggest flex in the wind turbine as it substitutes the application of the yawing system in the vertical turbine.
The support structure, the long tower, and the vertical blades all are the necessary components to build a vertical turbine.
The structure of the tower is very easy to build and is very light in shape. The cost for a single vertical axis wind tower is cheap. And thus it involves very little maintenance quality.
Main Differences Between Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine and Vertical Axis Wind Turbine
- The acronym commonly known for Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine is ‘HAWT’ while comparatively, on the other hand, the acronym or abbreviation used in place of Vertical Axis Wind Turbine is ‘VAWT’.
- The rotating axis of the horizontal turbine is built in such a way that the wind direction and the position of blades appear to be parallel while comparatively, on the other hand, the rotating axis of the vertical turbine is also built in such a way that the wind direction and the position of the blades appear to be perpendicular in direction.
- The direction of the rotor shifts in the horizontal turbine is the same as its name i.e. horizontal while comparatively, on the other hand, the direction of the rotor shifts in the vertical axis wind turbine is in the vertical direction.
- In the horizontal axis wind turbine, the face of the rotor shifts is placed towards the wind direction while comparatively, on the other hand, in the vertical axis wind turbine the face of the rotor shifts are placed in any direction.
- The maintenance of the horizontal axis wind turbine is very difficult while comparatively, on the other hand, the maintenance of the vertical turbine is effortless.
- The power consumption of horizontal axis wind turbine is more while comparatively, on the other hand, the power composition of the vertical axis wind turbine is to a lesser extent.
- The efficiency of the horizontal axis wind turbine is much greater while comparatively, on the other hand, the efficiency of the vertical axis wind turbine is less.
- The horizontal turbine is mainly used in the nearby places where the wind condition is quite streamlined while comparatively, on the other hand, the Vertical turbine is mainly used in nearby places with wind turbulence.
- The horizontal axis wind turbine can be operated even in medium wind conditions while comparatively, on the other hand, the vertical turbine can also be operated during the time of low wind flow conditions.
References
- https://d1wqtxts1xzle7.cloudfront.net/57615726/IJET_-_Vol._7_4.13_pp._74-80-with-cover-page-v2.pdf?Expires=1639402583&Signature=KZ9ShsMIJf3uWGkUcbH34xSOAEWzUr05~QgiV9eg5xmUb~cUJQzjdb7qrlrP1T2sPcIH~2hlO64xtknf9Yctlp71UcH9cMp~wqLEigkTIB1CECgbil2gvf75Gbat1iMmgaHhAk6t8h0ZQxPZdc1GFAe-1xSYL6i316ojahwpynEqENMeMTbGA38sWVM4GE-11JQtC5qzifXPqoadXFasCcHJOdGQYavImPG1wJ4~sXOs3TT-sUy2f9shlRYe0ETZZ4Z8VYvj9wWJdFBCfhjuXpRQTPW4AuxQiW5oYwoAZwjWrhjohgzWnGXTYknvEfy3BRCRfQD4qSlB-1Uiue1Qqg__&Key-Pair-Id=APKAJLOHF5GGSLRBV4ZA
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0960148109003048
- https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-3182/5/3/035005/meta
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2090447910000134
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Piyush Yadav has spent the past 25 years working as a physicist in the local community. He is a physicist passionate about making science more accessible to our readers. He holds a BSc in Natural Sciences and Post Graduate Diploma in Environmental Science. You can read more about him on his bio page.
