the SUPER SAV

[spinner]

I have been looking into the possibility of building the Savonius that is referred to as the best or improved etc i think it was developed in 1977 or thereabouts.

information i have gained to this point in time: some dimensions (I think they appeared on this site too, if i'm not mistaken, awhile back.

I cannot tell for sure if the bottom and or the top are solid (my thought is that they are?)

I think, from images that i have seen, that no shaft exists from bottom to top, but that the shaft is affixed to the bottom?

last guess (educated or not) is that the two side panels are somehow internally connected while leaving a open area thru-out the center which connects the two curved outer vane pieces...from that guess i am left to wonder how the whole works is kept solid while it is being spun around by winds of unknown power

thoughts/replies appreciated
spinner

[fabricator]

Ok, l'll post what most here are thinking, why bother? it'll never approach a hawt in power output, they are admittedly interesting machines to look at and some are down right elegant, but they are just plain inefficient, and a design that was perfected in 1977? 34 years ago?
If you have your heart set on it, just do it and have fun, but don't have high expectations.

[ChrisOlson]

I have been looking into the possibility of building the Savonius that is referred to as the best or improved etc i think it was developed in 1977 or thereabouts.

Hi spinner,

I don't know about the improved version in 1977, but the thing was actually invented  Finnish engineer Sigurd J. Savonius in 1922.  Ed Lenz has probably done most of the best work I know of with this design and the "Lenz II" VAWT is one of the more popular builds:

http://www.windstuffnow.com/main/lenz2_turbine.htm

Ed has one of these on his house roof in Michigan for quite awhile now, and it works good.
--
Chris

[Bruce S]

spinner;
Here is a link to Motherearthnews website that shows one of the very early units that was built put into a magazine that a lot of people used as a go-to.
http://www.motherearthnews.com/Renewable-Energy/1974-03-01/The-Savonius-Super-Rotor.aspx

Have a good read while on their website you can search "Savonius" and it'll bring just about everything you'll need to understand how to build one, even the electronics :-)

Also, if you give us a little more info on what you're looking to accomplish we can give a better informed direction.

Cheers;
Bruce S

[spinner]

as to vawt vs hawt..... location drives my intended choice despite the fact that I know the performance
advantages of a hawt (reality can be a bummer)
i'll be driving a 9/12 brake drum based unit that i had with my dual helix (now deceased due to old age and weather)
my expectations for whichever vawt design i have a go at this time, will include new coils for the old 9/12, it already has Eds wedge mags (single layer on one disk doubled thickness layer on the other).
average wind speed here is low BUT the unit will face, at least once each year, winds in the 40+ mph range, which the old helix did for around 6 years.
I have no expectation of being able to live off grid*chuckle with whatever  material i can scrape together; just wanna stay within my budget and end up with the best performance i can, considering the constraints listed!

thanks to all for your thoughts
spinner

[Bruce S]

Spinner;
Sounds like a logical plan to me 
Bruce S

[electrondady1]

hello spinner,
 i remember you and your helix vertical from the old forum.
it's good to see you posting again.
do you intend to use a bottom and top pin?
with out a centre shaft, you will need to make the vanes very stiff and strong but of low mass.
as well, the connections to the  plates will have to take all the forces involved.

[spinner]

hiya E.D.

the  drawings/pics i've seen seem to indicate no center shaft and that the unit is built as a more or less straight up vertical column your point is well taken, i think, about maintaining strength, especially if one attempts to build a tall one, with, say, a core width of around 1-2 feet (excluding vane width)...note:
i don't have the sheet in front of me to list an exact width...sure you get my drift, tho

it appears to me that if i do follow the formulas correctly, I have unit length and unit total height as two "swept area" physical factors to deal with....i didn't make a spreadsheet for this potential build, just did the math for a 2 and a 3 foot unit, 'cause i can always multiply either one to make a longer one.

I hope that
longer=circular sweep/diameter of the circle it will travel within to anyone reading this..it is how i picture this scenario, anyhow.

thanks to you and Bruce for the responses
spinner