Design and Investigation of a Novel Construction of a Horizontal-Axis Wind Energy System

Abstract

This paper presents the design, mathematical modeling, and aerodynamic performance investigation of a novel multi-rotor counter-rotating horizontal-axis wind turbine (HAWT) system tailored for low-windspeed operating conditions. The proposed design integrates three coaxial rotors arranged in series: two forward rotors of radii R1 and R2 rigidly mounted on a primary shaft driving the generator inductor, and a third rear rotor of radius R3 mounted on an independent shaft driving the generator armature in the counterrotating direction. This mechanical configuration doubles the relative rotational velocity within the electromechanical conversion unit without requiring a mechanical gearbox, effectively reducing mechanical losses and starting torque. A modified 1D actuator disc theoretical model incorporating sequential axial induction factors is derived using mass conservation and Bernoulli equations to quantify dynamic pressure discontinuities across the rotor stages. Aerodynamic modeling performed in Ansys Fluent demonstrates that under optimal operatinal parameters. The proposed configuration exhibits high potential for standalone micro-energy systems and off-grid decentralized power generation