Turbini: Vertical Axis Wind Turbine

by Sam Mozaffari

Sandcast aluminium joinery and black anodised 6061 aluminium frame.

Blade assembled with tapped M6 threads and countersunk bolts.

All the parts laid out flat, showing the flatpack capabilities of the turbine.

Project Description

Nowadays, ensuring access to energy is one of the most serious challenges the world confronts. For those who live in poverty, there is a shortage of access to these energy services, which can desperately undermine education, health and development. The problem of energy access for the poor countries has become even more intense because of the impacts of climate change and the necessity for finding sustainable electricity generation methods. Compared to the horizontal axis wind turbines which you see in wind farms, vertical axis wind turbines work better in congested and urban environments, don’t produce any noise and start at much lower wind speeds. They don’t need to face a prevailing wind direction to start up. While horizontal axis turbines are more efficient, they are more suited to large open spaces devoid of people and a higher budget, with a painstakingly complex manufacturing and installation process.

The objectives of this project are to develop a vertical axis wind turbine design to provide decentralised electricity to economically disadvantaged communities who don’t have grid infrastructure but have wind. It is essential that the turbine is easy to manufacture, is flat packed for shipping and is straightforward to assemble with basic hand tools. Overall, the design concept has the potential to greatly improve living situations through a comparatively lower cost to access electricity, giving them access to essential services that are commonplace in developed countries. There is also an opportunity for a community of likeminded individuals to iterate and improve the design concepts to further reduce the cost, improving the efficiency and deployment of the turbines.

Side view of the appearance mode. Note the changes that occurred for the final design.

Front view of the working appearance model capable of product 250W of power.

Bio

Hi there! I’m Sam Mozaffari, designer, surfer and photographer. Creative and meticulous, I understand the whole design process and approach challenges with zest and creativity. I’m currently working as an industrial designer at ZETR, disrupting the electrical space. I love producing innovating consumer products and expressing ideas through good design. Let’s design a world together that’s sustainable, considered and aesthetically pleasing.

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2022 bachelor index