Visualization study of the flow in and around a Savonius rotor

Flow in and around a Savonius rotor has been studied by flow visualization experiments, and the rotation effect is discussed in comparison with the measured pressure distributions on the blade surfaces. It is observed that the flow separating regions on the blade surfaces are fairly reduced by the rotation effect and the flow through the overlap is weakened by the appearance of resisting flow. The former contributes to the torque production of the rotating rotor while the latter acts as a resistance. These phenomena together with the stagnation effect on the front side of the rotor contribute to the power producing mechanism of the Savonius rotor.