This paper aims to present the study of flow through a vertical axis wind turbine of Savonius type. The studied turbine is intended to be used within a compact package with multisource of energy. The rotor has height, which is approximately equivalent to the rotor diameter. In this condition, the simulation of flow through the wind turbine needs 3D model. Due to its principle of operation and the continuous variation of flow angle with respect to blades, strong unsteady effects including separation and vortex shedding are observed. In these conditions, the turbulence modeling by means of k-ω and DES permits to obtain good results comparatively to experiments. In this work we are using CFD to study the behaviour of a Savonius wind turbine under flow field conditions and to determine its performance and the evolution of wake geometry. The flow analysis helps to qualify the design of the wind turbine. To validate simulations, experimental investigation in wind tunnel is carried out using PIV. The investigation permits to determine the structure of the real flow and to access the quality of numerical simulation

Wind energy is becoming a significant alternative solution for future energy production. Modern turbines now benefit from engineering expertise, and a large variety of different models exists, depending on the context and needs. However, classical wind turbines are designed to operate within a narrow zone centred around their optimal working point. This limitation prevents the use of sites with variable wind to harvest energy, involving significant energetic and economic losses. Here, we present a new type of bioinspired wind turbine using elastic blades, which passively deform through the air loading and centrifugal effects. This work is inspired from recent studies on insect flight and plant reconfiguration, which show the ability of elastic wings or leaves to adapt to the wind conditions and thereby to optimize performance. We show that in the context of energy production, the reconfiguration of the elastic blades significantly extends the range of operating regimes using only passive, non-consuming mechanisms. The versatility of the new turbine model leads to a large increase of the converted energy rate, up to 35%. The fluid/elasticity mechanisms involved for the reconfiguration capability of the new blades are analysed in detail, using experimental observations and modelling.