MS#10.7 Designs from International Small Wind Turbine Contest

G. SCHEPERS¹, N. ADEMA¹, C. BRAUD²
¹ Hanze University Groningen|² CSTB/CNRS

Emerging technologies and special sessions

This mini symposium will showcase the designs submitted by student teams for the upcoming 2025 International Small Wind Turbine Competition (ISWTC). This annual competition, established in 2013 by NHL University of Applied Sciences and currently organized by Hanze University of Applied Sciences, challenges students to design and construct small wind turbines.

The wind turbines are tested in a large wind tunnel. Until now, these tests have been conducted at the Open Jet Facility of TUDelft, a facility with a 3x3 m² outlet that allows rotors with a maximum swept area of 2 m² without significant tunnel effects. However, for the 2025 edition, the competition will be held in conjunction with the WESC conference in Nantes, France, utilizing the wind tunnel at CSTB. This tunnel has a closed test section measuring 5x6 m². The swept area will remain 2 m^2 which leads to a blockage ratio of 0.0667, which is well below the often-cited threshold of 0.1 for avoiding significant tunnel effects in closed tunnels [Mexico]

Approximately 10 teams are expected to participate in the 2025 competition, presenting a diverse range of concepts. These may include both horizontal axis wind turbines (HAWTs) and vertical axis wind turbines (VAWTs), as well as innovative designs such as dual rotors, shrouded concepts, and blades with winglets. An external jury with leading experts from industry and academia will evaluate the designs based on criteria such as annual energy production, cut-in wind speed, innovation, overall design, and sustainability.

During the mini symposium, student teams will provide brief presentations of their designs and share the results of wind tunnel measurements conducted prior to the event. The audience will have ample opportunity to ask questions and offer feedback and suggestions to the teams