Performance Enhancement of Darrieus Vawt Using Modified Asymmetric Blades: Experimental and CFD Validation

Seydulla, Zhanibek; Kalassov, Nurdaulet; Isataev, Muhtar; Baizhuma, Zhandos; Baizhumanov, Kadirbek; Kuykabayeva, Aizhan; Gabitova, Zarina; Satkynova, Aigerim

doi:10.3390/en19030743

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Performance Enhancement of Darrieus Vawt Using Modified Asymmetric Blades: Experimental and CFD Validation

by

Zhanibek Seydulla

,

Nurdaulet Kalassov

,

Muhtar Isataev

,

Zhandos Baizhuma

,

Kadirbek Baizhumanov

,

Aizhan Kuykabayeva

,

Zarina Gabitova

and

Aigerim Satkynova

^*

Department of Thermal and Technical Physics, Al-Farabi Kazakh National University, 71 Al-Farabi Ave., Almaty 050040, Kazakhstan

^*

Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.

Energies 2026, 19(3), 743; https://doi.org/10.3390/en19030743

Submission received: 4 December 2025 / Revised: 20 January 2026 / Accepted: 28 January 2026 / Published: 30 January 2026

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Abstract

This paper presents a comprehensive experimental and numerical investigation of the aerodynamics of a vertical-axis Darrieus wind turbine equipped with newly developed modified asymmetric blades intended to enhance performance at low and variable wind speeds. Using URANS modeling (SST k–ω) combined with full-scale testing, a detailed comparison was carried out against the classical NACA 0021 airfoil. The results show that the asymmetric profile increases starting torque by 30–40%, reduces negative torque by 20–25%, and decreases load pulsations by 15–20%, owing to the delayed onset of dynamic stall and the stabilization of the vortex wake structure. Within the optimal operating range of TSR = 2.5–4, an 18–22% increase in pressure differential is observed, resulting in a higher power coefficient; the maximum Cp reaches 0.15, exceeding that of the symmetric configuration by 20–25%. The agreement between CFD predictions and experimental measurements exceeds 95%, confirming the robustness of the numerical model employed. The findings clearly demonstrate the substantial effectiveness of the proposed blade geometry and its strong potential for next-generation VAWTs optimized for regions with low wind resources.

Keywords: vertical-axis wind turbine; Darrieus rotor; symmetric and asymmetric airfoil; power coefficient; torque; CFD modeling

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MDPI and ACS Style

Seydulla, Z.; Kalassov, N.; Isataev, M.; Baizhuma, Z.; Baizhumanov, K.; Kuykabayeva, A.; Gabitova, Z.; Satkynova, A. Performance Enhancement of Darrieus Vawt Using Modified Asymmetric Blades: Experimental and CFD Validation. Energies 2026, 19, 743. https://doi.org/10.3390/en19030743

AMA Style

Seydulla Z, Kalassov N, Isataev M, Baizhuma Z, Baizhumanov K, Kuykabayeva A, Gabitova Z, Satkynova A. Performance Enhancement of Darrieus Vawt Using Modified Asymmetric Blades: Experimental and CFD Validation. Energies. 2026; 19(3):743. https://doi.org/10.3390/en19030743

Chicago/Turabian Style

Seydulla, Zhanibek, Nurdaulet Kalassov, Muhtar Isataev, Zhandos Baizhuma, Kadirbek Baizhumanov, Aizhan Kuykabayeva, Zarina Gabitova, and Aigerim Satkynova. 2026. "Performance Enhancement of Darrieus Vawt Using Modified Asymmetric Blades: Experimental and CFD Validation" Energies 19, no. 3: 743. https://doi.org/10.3390/en19030743

APA Style

Seydulla, Z., Kalassov, N., Isataev, M., Baizhuma, Z., Baizhumanov, K., Kuykabayeva, A., Gabitova, Z., & Satkynova, A. (2026). Performance Enhancement of Darrieus Vawt Using Modified Asymmetric Blades: Experimental and CFD Validation. Energies, 19(3), 743. https://doi.org/10.3390/en19030743

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Performance Enhancement of Darrieus Vawt Using Modified Asymmetric Blades: Experimental and CFD Validation

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