DESIGN CALCULATION OF 1kW HORIZONTAL AXIS WIND TURBINE (BLADE AND TRANSMISSION

SYSTEM)
Mg Kyaw Aung Myo, Dr Kyaw Aung

Abstract - The horizontal axis wind turbine (HAWT) is
designed to derive 1kW generator. The blades of wind
turbine are designed by using the NACA 4415 series. The
three blades wind turbine can produce 10919.8 W. 1 kW
electric generator can be used with low wind speed. Blade is
divided into 10 elements with equal length forming 11
sections throughout the blade. The blade length is obtained
2
2.295 m and rotor swept area is 16.6 m . Diameter of rotor is
4.59 m. The rotor speed is 270 rpm and rotor torque is 385.6
Nm. Therefore the transmission system is used to get more
revolution from output shaft of the wind turbine. The speed-
up spur gears (154 mm diameter, 2.75 mm module, face
width 16 mm and 58 teeth) are used. The design of pinion is
46 mm diameter, 2.75 mm module, face width 16 mm and
17 teeth. Material of spur gear and pinion are selected with
cast steel. The ASME equation is used to calculate the
design of shaft. The commercial steel for shaft is selected.
The diameters of shaft are 30 mm and 25 mm.
Keywords - Blade, Gear, Transmission system, Wind
Turbine (HAWT).
I. INTRODUCTION
Wind power is a free, clean and inexhaustible energy source.
It has served humankind well for many centuries by
propelling ships and driving wind turbines to grind grain and
pump water. The main idea of wind power is to produce
mechanical or electrical power economically without air
pollution by using exhaustible natural resources. The many
different types of wind turbines can be divided into two
groups depending on their axis rotation, namely horizontal
axis wind turbines (HAWTs) and vertical axis wind turbines
(VAWTs). Currently manufactures concentrate more on the
horizontal axis machines, usually associated with water
pumping and electrical power generation.
II.OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this thesis is to produce electricity from
wind energy for our local area’s electrical needs.The
provision of an electricity supply to rural areas is difficult
and costly, extension of the mains grid over difficult terrain,
is generally not economic for small power loads. This desire
is to supply the electricity in hamlet, in developing areas and
rural coastal areas of Myanmar and to improve the
knowledge of the wind turbine system to the remote or rural

W IND is air in motion and it derives energy from

solar radiation. About 2% of the total solar flux that
reaches the earth’s surface is transformed into wind energy
areas. The main objective is to design the efficient blade and
low cost transmission gear box.

due to uneven heating of atmosphere. The temperatures of

III. SCOPE
the wind also influence the energy content of the wind but
Firstly, the local wind speed data in Myanmar is studied and
are not important in the context of wind-based energy
the available wind speed is determined. The second step is
production systems. Winds are generated due to the
to study the windmill system. The third is to design the
atmospheric temperature differences caused by different
efficient blade and low cost transmission gearbox for
areas getting different fluxes of sunlight. In continuous
horizontal axis wind turbine. Finally the blade is analyzed
search of clean, safe and renewable energy sources, wind
by using the blade element theory.
power is certainly one of the most attractive solutions.

Mg Kyaw Aung Myo is with the Department of Mechanical Engineering,

Technological University, Magway ( Phone: 95-063-23750; 95-063-23750;
email: kaungmyo@gmail.com ).
Dr. Kyaw Aung was with Yangon Technological University, Yangon. He is
now with the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Technological
University, Magway ( Phone: 95-063-23750; 95-063-23750; email:
kyawaung11@gmail.com ).
IV. TYPE OF WIND TURBINE
Wind power machines are usually classified according to
their axis of rotation relative to the direction of the wind.
The major categories of wind machines are
(1) Horizontal axis machines and
(2) Vertical axis machines.
The most popular and most versatile is the horizontal axis plane of rotation. The calculation of the blade design is
type, which represent more than 95% of all wind turbines. received by using the following equations;
r
A local speed ratio, λr for blade section is λ r = λ 0 × (1)
V. HORIZONTAL AXIS WIND TURBINE R
Horizontal axis wind turbines resemble an airplane r × SP
The cross sections of the blade is c = (2)
propeller with either two or three blades. The axis of Cl × B

rotation is horizontal and the aero turbine plane is vertical R

The blade aspect ratio is A R = (3)
facing the wind . The shaft is mounted on two bearing. C total
Blades on rotor is usually designed to be oriented in front ⎡
C 3 ⎤
(upwind) or behind (downwind) of the tower. Upwind The correct angle of attack is α c = α o + L × ⎢ 1 + ⎥ (4)
0.11 ⎢ A ⎥
⎣ R⎦
turbines need a tail or some other mechanism to maintain
The blade angle is β = φ − α                                         (7)                    
orientation. Downwind turbines produce wind shadow and c
turbulence in the blade path. This may be quite seriously The angle between relative wind velocity and the plane
affected by the tower height. The mono-blade wind turbines rotation is
have lighter rotor and are favorably priced. One blade wind ⎡2 ⎤
1
                        φ = tan −1 ⎢ × ⎥     (6)                 
turbine captures 10% less than two blade design. Twin-blade ⎢⎣ 3 λ r ⎥⎦
design needs teetering hub or shock absorbers because of
The Cl/Cd ratio is chosen as large as possible in order to
gyroscopic imbalance and it capture 5% less energy than
three blade design. The rotor has three blades assembled on optimize the rotor design. The following Table II gives

a hub. The gear box changes the speed from turbine shaft values of the lift and drag coefficients for a particular
speed to generator shaft speed. The three blades design have standard airfoil shape NACA 4415.
naturally balanced rotor and do not need teetering control. TABLE II
Three blades configuration is more popular all over the
Angle of attack, Lift coefficient, Drag coefficient and Cl/Cd
world. The number of blades effects on the power
ratio of NACA 4415.
coefficient of windmill. We select the three blades
horizontal axis wind turbine according with the tip speed
Angle of NACA 4415
ratio shown in Table I. Attack Lift Drag ⎛ Cl ⎞
TABLE I (α) Coefficient Coefficie ⎜ ⎟
⎜C ⎟
Selection of Number of Blades Cl nt ⎝ d ⎠ max

0 0.4 0.0106 37.7358

λ B
1 6 - 20 1 0.5 0.0109 45.8716

2 4 - 12 2 0.59 0.011 53.6364

3 3-6
3 0.68 0.0118 57.6271
4 2-4
4 0.76 0.0125 60.8
5- 8 2-3
8 - 15 1-2 5 0.85 0.0133 63.9098

6 0.93 0.0143 65.035

VI. WIND TURBINE ROTOR AND BLADE DESIGN 7 1.03 0.0163 63.1902
Once these data are known it is now very simple to calculate
8 1.1 0.018 61.1111
the blade geometry i.e. the chord c of blade and the blade
9 1.17 0.02 58.5
angle β, the angle between the chord and the plane of
rotation. Ф is angle between relative wind velocity and the 10 1.25 0.0232 53.8793
Therefore we choose the value of Cl/Cd is 65.035 at 6° C L = lift coefficient of the airfoil
angle of attack. C D = drag coefficient of the airfoil
The resultant of the dFL and dFD gives the aerodynamic
Table III
force dF, which can be solved into the axial thrust dFT and
Resultant Table of Blade Profile
the moment–producing force dFM. The aerodynamic
Cross αc β
r (m) λr c (m) moment is given by r multiplied by dFM.
Section (Deg) (Deg)
No.
dFT = dFL cos φ + dFD sin φ (9)

1 0.4572 1.0359 5.7 27.1 0.5244

dFM = dFL sin φ - dFD cos φ (10)
2 0.6410 1.4524 5.7 19 0.3676 dM = r(dFLsin φ - dFD cos φ) (11)
3 0.8248 1.8688 5.7 13.9 0.4139 dP = ΩdM (12)
4 1.0086 2.2852 5.7 10.6 0.3254
Table IV
5 1.1924 2.7017 5.7 8.16 0.2992
6 1.3762 3.1182 5.7 6.37 0.2952
Resultant Table of Aerodynamic Forces, Moment and
7 1.5600 3.5346 5.7 4.98 0.2516 Power
8 1.7438 3.9511 5.7 3.88 0.2500 Section Lift Drug Moment Power
9 1.9276 4.3675 5.7 2.98 0.2073 Number force on Force on on from
10 2.1114 4.7840 5.7 2.23 0.1892 Element Element Element Element
11 2.295 5.2000 5.7 1.6 0.1645 (e)
dFL(N) dFD(N) dM(N-m) dP(W)
1 14.27 0.2194 4.1434 117.34
2 20.41 0.3138 6.0417 171.10
3 28.63 0.4403 8.4237 238.36
4 33.83 0.5202 9.8997 280.36
5 43.03 0.6616 12.4134 351.55
6 51.04 0.7848 14.5420 411.83
7 58.75 0.9033 16.5192 467.82
8 65.53 1.0076 18.1958 515.31
9 68.47 1.0528 18.7660 531.45
10 72.41 1.1134 19.5182 554.54
Figure 1. Blade Setting Angle

VII. BLADE ANALYSIS USING THE BLADE- The total result of each baldes is 3639.86 W. Total power

ELEMENT THEORY extracted by three blade wind generator at design wind

Consider a blade element of length dr at a distance r from speed 10 m/s is 10919.58 W.

the rotor axis. The magnitude of the lift and drag forces The design wind generator is enough to generate require 1

developed in this blade element are given by kW.

1
dFL = ρdA b v 2 C L (7)
2
1
dFd = ρdA b v 2 C D (8)
2
where, dFL = Lift force on an element ( N )
dFD = Drag force on an element ( N )
ρ = density of air ( kg/m3 )
dAb = area of a blade element ( m2 )
v = relative velocity of wind approaching
the airfoil ( m/s ) Figure 2. Lift force and Drag force
 VIII. DESIGN OF TRANSMISSION SYSTEM 21V(bc + F)
Dynamic Force, Fd = +F (18)
The transmission system is used to convert the rotation of 21V + bc + F
the rotor into a suitable rotation to derive the electric Wear Force, Fw = D p × b × K × Q (19)
generator. The transmission system which could be a belt
The velocity ratio of the two gear trains are the same and the
and pulleys or a gearbox, increases rotor rpm to the much
result is as shown in the following Table V.
higher rpm required by the wind generator. In our wind
Table V
turbine, velocity ratio 3.4:1 step-up spur gear is used in our
Result of Gear Train
gearbox.
DESIGN CALCALATION AND RESULT OF SPUR Detail Pinion Gear

GEAR m 2.75 2.75

Spur Gears are used to transmit rotary motion between the b 16 16
parallel shafts, they are usually cylindrical, and the teeth are Cut Precision Precision
straight and parallel to the axis of rotation. For a certain V.R 3.4 1
types of our wind generator, a gear ratio can be selected that rpm 918 270
almost ideally match rotor to load.
No; of teeth 17 58
Power = 1 × ρ × A × v 3 × C P (13) Diameter 46 154
2
v × λ × 60 DESIGN CALCULATION OF SHAFT
rpm =
2× π× R By using ASME code equation for a solid shaft having little
9550 × P no axial loading,
(M t ) = (14)
rpm 16
d3 = (k b M b ) 2 + (k t M t ) 2 (20)
Same materials, πSs
Base design on pinion where;
Known diameter case d = diameter of shaft (mm)
Strength Check Mb = bending moment (Nm)
By using Lewis equation, Mt = torsional moment (Nm)
2
1 SKπ kb = combined shock and fatigue factor applied
2
= (15)
m y F to bending moment
Pitch line velocity; kt = combined shock and fatigue factor applied
π × D P × rpm to torsional moment
Vp = (16)
60 We use ball bearing. So axial load is zero.
2(M t )
F=
D For rotational shafts Kb Kt
Load gradually applied 1.5 1.0
Face width; The results of the shafts of our wind turbine design are;
b = K reduce × π × m For shaft number (1) is 30 mm and for shaft number (2) is
⎛ 1 ⎞ 25 mm diameter.
⎜⎜ 2 ⎟⎟
⎝ m y ⎠ induce
b = K reduce × ×π×m
⎛ 1 ⎞ IX. DISCUSSION, CONCLUSION AND
⎜⎜ 2 ⎟⎟
⎝ m y ⎠ allowable RECOMMENDATIONS
Wind turbines are suitable to implement the electricity
Dynamic check; requirement of Myanmar’s rural areas. Some rural coastal
areas already use small wind generators. The turbine type is
Endurance Force, F0 = S 0 × b × y × π × m (17) up-wind Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine. It includes fixed
pitch, tilt-up rotor, gearbox and generator. The rotor
diameter is 4.59 m and rotor blades are made by the task
wood. The rotor speed at 10 m/s is 270 revolutions per
minute. We use the gearbox to obtain the high speed rotation
from turbine output shaft. In gearbox, we use speed-up spur
gears.
This thesis is design for 1kW three blades horizontal axis
wind generator system. The rotor blade is selected from
NACA 4415 series. To increase the rotation of shaft, 3.4:1
ratio speed-up spur gearbox is used. The required design of
spur gears can be determined through strength and wear and
dynamic check. The ASME code equation is used to
calculate the design of shaft. The commercial steel for shaft
is used. The generator can be bought from local market. The
electrical energy from generator is converted by an inverter
and is stored in 12V Battery. Generator output power of
wind turbine is less than available wind power. This wind
turbine can produce 10919.58 W at 10 m/s. Wood blade can
cause undesirable effect on aerodynamic and structural
rigidity. It is recommend making with fiber glass for good
service and long lasting. The next study should be made the
blade with variable pitch.

ACKNOWNLEDGMENTS
Mg Kyaw Aung Myo thanks Dr Kyaw Aung and Daw War
War Min Swe for their supporting to the explanation of their
experiences and essential suggestion for this paper.

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