Master CFD of Savonius Wind Turbine Using ANSYS Fluent

Name: Master CFD of Savonius Wind Turbine Using ANSYS Fluent
Rating: 4.2 (10 reviews)

CFD of Savonius wind turbine using ANSYS Fluent with geometry, meshing, transient simulation, and validation

Created bySijal Ahmed

Last updated 10/2025

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What you'll learn

Understand the basics of wind energy and the working principle of Savonius vertical-axis wind turbines
Create accurate 2D geometry and apply high-quality meshing techniques in ANSYS, including quad elements, inflation layers, and wake region refinement
Set up transient simulations for rotating machinery using the sliding mesh approach in ANSYS Fluent
Capture aerodynamic behavior and performance of Savonius turbines under low-speed wind conditions
Validate CFD results using real experimental data from Blackwell et al. (1977), ensuring credible simulation outcomes

Course content

4 sections • 10 lectures • 2h 10m total length

Introduction2:54
Design and analyze wind turbines using CAD geometry, meshing with inflation layers and tetra elements, and run Fluent simulations. Validate results against Blackwell data and interpret outcomes with CFD post-processing.
Overview of course6:49
Explore renewable energy trends and master Savonius wind turbine CFD in ANSYS Fluent, covering blade geometry, TSR, lambda, domain setup, meshing, transient torque, and performance analysis.
Introduction to renewablwe energy and current trends17:04
Explore renewable energy with a focus on current wind trends, wind turbine types, and key metrics like TSR and power coefficient, culminating in CFD analysis.
Savonius wind turbine basics5:25
Learn the Savonius wind turbine basics, a vertical-axis drag device with two semicircular blades, and how to define geometry, overlap, and self-starting behavior in cad.

Geometry creation of rotor and fixed domain in design modeller29:51
Create rotor geometry and the fixed domain in design modeller for a savonius turbine in ANSYS Fluent, detailing domain boundaries.
Boolearn operation to create final fluid domains4:01
Use a boolean subtract to form the fluid domain by removing the rotor domain from the fixed atmospheric domain, preserving blade bodies and defining the wake region for mesh refinement.
Named selections3:52
Create name selections for inlet, outlet, top and bottom boundaries, and for the fixed-rotating domain interface to define boundary conditions and enable torque calculation on the turbine blades.

Problem setup and solution in Fluent28:03
Set up and solve a Savonius wind turbine CFD case in Fluent, including meshing, boundary conditions, k-omega SST turbulence, rotating domain motion, and torque post-processing for cycle-averaged performance.
Postprocessing and validation of results19:58
Master postprocessing and validation of savonius wind turbine CFD results in ANSYS Fluent, including torque, power, COP, time-step convergence, animation creation, and comparison with Blackwell et al. data.

Requirements

A basic understanding of fluid mechanics and CFD concepts is recommended. Prior exposure to ANSYS Workbench tools like DesignModeler, Meshing, and Fluent will be helpful but is not mandatory — step-by-step guidance is provided.

Description

CFD Simulation of a Savonius Wind Turbine Using ANSYS Fluent

Learn how to build, simulate, and validate a 2D Savonius vertical-axis wind turbine (VAWT) using ANSYS DesignModeler, ANSYS Meshing, and ANSYS Fluent in this hands-on, project-based course.

This course guides you through the complete CFD workflow, from geometry creation and meshing to transient simulation, post-processing, and validation with experimental wind tunnel data.

What You’ll Learn

Basics of renewable energy and Savonius wind turbine operation
2D geometry creation in ANSYS DesignModeler
Quad meshing with inflation layers and Body of Influence (BoI)
Transient simulation using the sliding mesh method
Application of the k-ω SST turbulence model
Torque and power coefficient calculation
Post-processing with contours, streamlines, and animations
Validation of CFD results using experimental data (Blackwell et al., 1977)

Why Take This Course?

Unlike typical CFD tutorials, this course emphasizes result validation, helping you build confidence in your simulations and apply engineering best practices for rotating machinery and unsteady flows.

Who This Course Is For

Engineering students and final-year project students
CFD learners interested in wind energy and rotating machinery
Researchers and professionals seeking a validated CFD case study

Software Used

ANSYS DesignModeler
ANSYS Meshing
ANSYS Fluent

By the end of this course, you’ll have a complete, validated CFD project suitable for academic work, research, or professional portfolios.

Who this course is for:

Engineering students, researchers, and professionals in mechanical, aerospace, or renewable energy fields who are interested in simulating and validating wind turbine performance using transient CFD techniques in ANSYS Fluent.

Master CFD of Savonius Wind Turbine Using ANSYS Fluent

What you'll learn

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Course content

Introduction4 lectures • 32min

Geometry creation and domain making in design modeller3 lectures • 38min

Mesh generation for Savonius wind turbine1 lecture • 12min

Problem setup and solution in Fluent2 lectures • 48min

Requirements

Description

Who this course is for: