Date of Award

5-2026

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

College/School

College of Science and Mathematics

Department/Program

Mathematics

Thesis Sponsor/Dissertation Chair/Project Chair

Ashwin Vaidya

Committee Member

Arup Mukherjee

Committee Member

Bogdan Nita

Abstract

This thesis presents preliminary analyses on the performance of small scale vertical axis wind turbines (VAWTs) conducted through both experimental and computational methods. Laboratory experiments were carried out in the Complex Fluids Laboratory at Montclair State University to evaluate turbine behavior under controlled conditions. The key focus of this work was to investigate the impact of inlet blockage on turbine performance, simulating real-world environmental constraints such as flow obstruction and urban interference and measuring power generated via laboratory tools. Computational fluid dynamic (CFD) simulations were performed to further analyze flow characteristics and validate experimental observations and trends. Turbine geometries were developed using Computer Aided Design (CAD) software such as Autodesk Fusion and simulations were conducted using Autodesk CFD Ultimate and ANSYS Fluent. The combined experimental and numerical results provide insight into how inlet flow restriction influences VAWT efficiency and aerodynamic performance in terms of power generated. These findings contribute to a better understanding of VAWT behavior in potential realistic operating environments.

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