Java based Physics Simulation of Adaptive VAWT Blades

This video shows some java classes that I wrote to construct models of physical systems, including masses, springs, dash-pots, ropes / rubber bands, and wings. I wrote this software in an attempt to simulate VAWTs with blades that can pivot and are balanced with a counter weight.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• SHARP
• VAWT
• Simulation
• JAVA
• classes
• physics
• science
• CFD

[JamesThomas]

Very nice work.

Any way of currently determining or modifying your program to reveal how much more efficient a self-correcting wing is over a fixed design?

[sjh7132]

@JamesThomas

Hopefully there will be.  I'm finding that how you tune the balance of the blade has a major effect on these blades efficiency and speed so I'm working on that first.

[sjh7132]

@JamesThomas

See the vawts dot net discussion forum. I started a thread about analysis of this VAWT and ran it against a fixed wind model using the same blade.

[MrNightLifeLover]

Nice how did you do the visualization?

[sjh7132]

@MrNightLifeLover

I just plotted lines and circles. Then to make the movie, java has this nice class called a BufferedImage, and you can draw to the image like you'd draw to the screen. Then in another single statement you can have the imaged saved off as a jpg, or gif or whatever. So I just created 1000's of images and then chained them together with Photolapse, a free program on the net.

[huntmatuk]

This guy is a genius, not only can he do experiments but he can also do theory and coding. I brilliant allrounder...

[peter007kitty]

Source code?

[sjh7132]

@sjh7132

The one in real life had some design problems. (Weight in the wrong places, blades too large, blades flat with bad leading edge.) If it wasn't self adjusting it wouldn't have spun at all, so I considered it a successful proof of concept. Now I need to work on a serious attempt.

[sjh7132]

@Aceman307

It's actually not my idea. Several people have had similar ideas, one of them is Peter Sharp. He is the one who introduced me to the idea. You can read about the SHARP VAWT on the vawts (dot) net discussion board, along with many other good ideas.

[Aceman307]

Interesting design. How is the one you are working on in real life doing. I am getting ready to change my blades on mine, I could experiment with some of your ideas.

[HeavyDemir]

cool stuff