Project: Wind Wall

For this instructible, I’ve decided to showcase my “Wind Wall” project — a compact yet powerful vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT) system designed to generate clean energy in urban spaces and remote locations alike. This wall-mounted array of mini wind turbines is not just an experiment in harnessing wind, but a step toward reshaping how we think about renewable energy at the local level.

Energy:

1. Energy is the ability to do work (almost any work!) — and in our modern world, nearly everything we do, from lighting up a home to sending a rocket to space, depends on it. But the way we generate energy has major consequences. Traditional fossil fuels (coal, oil, and gas) release huge amounts of carbon dioxide and other pollutants, which are the main culprits behind climate change, poor air quality, and rising global temperatures. Every watt of clean energy we generate is a watt we don’t have to extract from the earth and burn into the sky.

The Wind Wall is a cumulation of Vertical Axis Wind Turbines (VAWTs) Which are designed to extract the kinetic energy of the wind and convert it to electrical energy. This “Wind Wall” for this particular design as such consists of 10 VAWTs which are of the Savonius Type (drag type wind turbine). The Blade has a profile of the ‘Ugrinsky’ type with a helical twist to enable it to operate with low wind speeds and relative independence on the wind direction. By grouping the VAWTs in a frame, it gives a greater power production and lesser usage of available space. Each unit VAWT in the “Wall” shall be connected in parallel to each other and each unit “Wall” shall be further connected in parallel to each other. Adding a helical twist to the VAWT of the ’Wall’ makes the torque produced on it more uniform and less ’pulsating’ as in a turbine without a twist. more the helical twist, more even the torque on the turbine shall be. However a high helical angle on the turbine can cause turbulence on the blades decreasing the efficiency.

So let's begin!!!

We do need a LOT for this tho, but I will mention the absolute necessities: (As most of the stuff required for the building the prototype is in the 'costing' section)

1. A good laptop for CFD (at least the latest intel 5 or 7 core processor, minimum16 gigs of ram, and if possible a dedicated graphics card Nvidia 3050 will do) (you will need the graphics for video illustrations, blender etc)
2. Fusion360. (pretty much my power horse)
3. Autodesk CFD. (there are others, but this is waaayyy user friendly!)

That's it!

Energy---

The energy sector is by far the largest contributor to global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, accounting for about 73% of total emissions worldwide. (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the International Energy Agency (IEA)). And within this, Electricity and heat production is by far the largest contributor at 31% (Of the total emissions not the 73%).

In short, almost three-quarters of the world’s carbon emissions come from how we produce and consume energy. This means that transforming the energy sector—by moving toward renewables like wind, solar, hydro, and efficient storage—is absolutely essential if we’re serious about tackling climate change.

Also, if we try and bring the other sectors into using 'electrical' energy for eg: if the transport sector was electrified or the building and construction sector was electrified, the problem to emissions being from different sources can be eliminated.

But, there is one problem... How can we produce this extra electricity??? That's where the "Wind Wall" helps make an impact. Using more coal and fossil fuel for all the electric cars can be cheaper, but not so good for our environment. Hence, we need to make sure to create innovative and cost effective ways to make clean electricity!

The Wind Wall---

The Wind Wall is a modular, wall-mounted system of Vertical Axis Wind Turbines (VAWTs) designed to generate clean electricity from ambient wind, especially in urban or space-constrained environments. Unlike traditional horizontal wind turbines, which require open fields and large structures, the Wind Wall can be installed along building facades, fences, or rooftop edges — transforming otherwise unused vertical surfaces into renewable energy generators.

Depending on size, wind conditions, and number of turbines, a WindWall unit can produce anywhere from 300W to 1kW, with the potential to scale higher in favourable conditions. here in my project, I have gone for a Wind Wall that is 2meters wide and 1meters tall. each of the VAWT being 17cm in diameter. The power produced (hypothesised) is at about 600-800W.

The idea of a Wind Wall was inspired by Sir Robert Murray Smith from his YouTube channel : https://www.youtube.com/@ThinkingandTinkering

The concept:

Using several Vertical Axis Wind Turbines (VAWTs) and grouping them together in a pattern to form a 'wall' that will generate electricity.

The Turbines are arranged in a linear pattern and housed in a framing. The blade type is similar to the Savonius turbine type that uses the different forces on the side of the blade to spin i.e. one side has more drag and the other has lesser drag. Hence Savonius blades work in the basis of drag difference. There is another type that uses lift as the spinning force but that does not work very well in low wind speed conditions.

The similar-to Savonius type of blade that I choose has a specific 'blade profile'. Now what is blade profile? --- When we cut the Blade of the turbine into thin slices (like chips or crisps), the shape of that plane is called the blade profile.

Here I used the "Ugrinsky" type of profile. the reason why I chose it is because it has high efficiency and ability to produce positive torque at all angles (which is very important as unequal torque can cause 'pulsing' effect on the shaft and also it becomes inefficient). Studies have shown that the Ugrinsky turbine can achieve a maximum power coefficient of 0.170, which is 54.5% higher than the Savonius turbine (given below in 'references').

Ugrinsky profile

The 'Wind Wall' shall have 9 turbines in a frame (Why I specifically chose "9" is given in the "Testing for efficiency" Step), each turbine being 100cm tall and 17cm in diameter.

So by using the power formula:

P= 1/2 p.A(v^3).Cp

where 'P' is the power generated in watts, 'p' (rho) is the air density, 'v' is the wind speed and 'Cp' is the power coefficient,

The expected power output of one turbine at 12m/s windspeeds is about 58~63 watts. Hence the output of the 'Wind Wall' is at about 500 to 1KW depending on the wind speeds.

From here I show how I designed each part using Autodesk software (Fusion 360). The parts are a bit not easy to explain in words, pls do refer to the videos.

Here I am looking forwards to patent my 'Wind Wall'. I have shown how I designed it as it might be useful when you may want to make something similar or of any similar shapes. Here I am showing the techniques, approach and the tools I use to get a shape or concept I want. I felt it was very helpful to me by seeing how others made different projects in Fusion360 even tho I did not make or replicate anything they did, it helped me to use Fusion360, CFD, Blender and other apps for my personal use.

The Steps are:

1. First we select the xy plane.
2. Then we draw the outline of the Ugrinsky profile.
3. After that we copy the outline while in the sketch and move it vertically up about 5cm and once more using the original up to 10cm.
4. We need to twist the first copied profile by 10degrees and the next one above it by 20degrees.
5. Making two such profiles rather than 1 single profile makes sure that when we use the 'Loft' tool, it makes a smooth and continuous blade section length-wise. If we do not do this, it makes the between parts of the blade length (As shown in the video). Make the loft and mirror it twice to get the second part.
6. Then we copy the section we made and move it 10cm upwards and rotate it at 20degrees. Repeat till it is 10 such blade sections making a 100cm blade.
7. Use the combine tool to make the blade into 1 big part.

The Blade is Done!!!

The Steps are:

1. Draw a circle of diameter 17cm, offset by 2mm and extrude the thin ring till you get a short cylindrical casing.
2. Using the 'extrude' tool after drawing the sketch outline, extrude a flat top cover for the casing.
3. For the stator and rotor, pls refer video.

The Generator is Done!!!

The frame is pretty simple part, it is mostly a uniform sheet of thickness 2mm.

To make the frame I mostly used the 'extrude', 'move' and the 'create sketch'.

The Frame is Done!!!

To assemble the 'Wind Wall'

1 Assembly of the Generator:

1. In the Casing of the generator, the serpentine coil is fit in the inner surface of the ‘Generator Cover’. The ‘Generator Cover’ is placed upside down for this.
2. The ‘Bottom Cover’ is screwed down onto the ‘Generator Cover’ with appropriate screws in the given screw hole.
3. Now, the Stator and the axial is assembled separately. The Axial is put through the axial bearing, the stator, the axial bearing and the thrust bearing respectively and held together with glue.
4. The Assembled stator and axial is placed in the generator.
5. The ‘Top Cover’ is then placed on the generator and is screwed closed in its respective position. Put the thrust bearing on top of the generator lid and secure its lower portion using glue.

2 Assembling the VAWT:

1. On the assembled Generator and axial, the blade is slid down the axial till it is in firm contact with the thrust bearing. Glue is applied to the shaft of the axial to connect it to the blade.
2. The top axial bearing is then affixed to near the tip of the axial in such a way that when the ‘Top Frame’ is fixed to the ‘Frame Body’, the bearings are in the same level with the lower surface of the ‘Top Frame’.

3 Assembling the Frame:

1. The Frame is manufactured from metal sheets.
2. The ‘Top Frame’ is divided into 8 pieces.
3. They are welded in order as shown in the report attached at the end of the step.

4 Assembling the Wall:

1. The VAWT is first placed in its intended position given by the cutouts in the ‘Frame Base’.
2. The VAWT is then screwed into position.
3. The ‘Top Frame’ is then secured in position using screws.
4. The Wind Wall is now fully assembled.

The objective of this test is to analyse the wind flow patterns and the force exerted on the “Wind Wall” and the structural stress and strains the “Wind Wall” can handle. The main objective is to prove that the design can handle day to day stress and loads most importantly the designs can withstand certain limit of unfavourable conditions. The safety factor and stability of the design shall be also looked upon.

Simulation Setup Details:

in Autodesk CFD---

1. 141958 Total Nodes, 104003 Fluid Nodes, 37955 Solid Nodes} For single VAWT
2. 725455 Total Elements, 573228 Fluid Elements, 152227 Solid Elements} For single VAWT
3. 1 Inlets (Velocity 3m/s, 8m/s, 17m/s, 20m/s), 1 Outlets (Pressure 0), 0 Unknowns} For single VAWT
4. 1225606 Total Nodes, 1201788 Fluid Nodes, 23818 Solid Nodes} For “Wall”
5. 4777785 Total Elements, 4090471 Fluid Elements, 687314 Solid Elements} For “Wall”
6. 1 Inlets (Velocity 11.5m/s), 1 Outlets (Pressure 0), 0 Unknowns} For “Wall”
7. Turbulent Compressible Flow is ON
8. Turbulence model: Standard k-epsilon
9. Solver Settings: 100 steps, each step 1 iteration. Temp 33degrees Celsius.
10. Solver Settings: 200 steps, each step 1 iteration. Temp 33degrees Celsius.

In Fusion360---

1. 1508406 Total Nodes. For Single VAWT
2. 958389 Total Elements. For Single VAWT
3. Solver Settings: Gravity ON. For Single VAWT
4. Forces 3N, 16N, 62N, 87N. For Single VAWT

1. 5308006 Total Nodes. For The whole “Wall”
2. 3139313 Total Elements. For The whole “Wall”
3. Solver Settings: Gravity ON For The whole “Wall”
4. Forces 875.722N For The whole “Wall”

CFD Simulation:

Blade at 17m/s

Wall at 11.5m/s

At 17m/s, The net force on the VAWT is approx. 87N.

For the whole 'Wall' the net force at 11.5 m/s is 875.722N.

Using this data from the CFD software, we can apply these forces in fusion360 'static' load test and work out if the model can handle the force of the wind.

Representing the force on the wall

For a single VAWT, Maximum displacement is 1.564mm, minimum displacement is 0mm.

For the whole Wall, Maximum displacement is 3.216mm. Minimum displacement is 0mm.

Average safety factor is at 8.591 and the weakest being at the bearings and axial connections (tho it is above 5 at the weakest parts). Usually the average safety factor for small scale turbines is at 3.

This proves that the turbine is more than strong enough to face everyday stress and strain (and more too!).

So the idea is that the VAWTs are placed linearly in the frame as seen in the pictures above and all of them face the incoming wind. Since they are placed close to each other, a 'venturi' effect forms that makes the wind go faster in between the turbines.'

This increase in speed can also increase the power output of the wind turbines, and if the turbines are spaced properly, then we can find out the optimal spacing which gives the strongest venturi effect.

Now that we have this concept in mind, we need to make a corelation with this increased velocity, incoming velocity and the spacing of the turbines.

I have written a research paper about it and waiting to publish it tho and for those who wish to check it out I have attached it at the end of this step!

Approach1 (Finding optimum helical twist):

My model of the turbine blade has a helical twist. This is to make sure that when the wind is blowing on the turbine, it is evenly distributed and hence the force on the blades is even throughout the cycle. Hence there will be less pulsing effect on the blades when it rotates. It also improves the efficiency of the turbine.

To check this, I created different blade models and ran CFD test on each of them and calculated the 'torque' generated on each blade with a different helical twist. According to the test, the torque increases when the helix angle increases. But we shall take the helix angle of 20degrees as making a blade with very high helix angle (60 degrees +) can be very difficult and expensive and defeats the purpose of creating cost-effective electricity.

Hence optimal angle is 20degrees!

Approach2 (Finding optimum spacing):

To find the optimal spacing, we need to test the whole wall with different spacing between the VAWTs for each different helical twist angle that we tested for. This is done for consistency (and it took a very veeerrrryyy looonnng time).

At the results and after plotting a 3d plane graph, we can see that for 20degrees helix, there is a very specific spacing that produces the maximum efficiency. For higher helix angle, the spacing is greater to get the similar efficiency.

The Final Result:

Now that we have all the comparisons done, we come up with the corelation:

Ve=V.(1+(Kv.D)/Sp)

taking S=Sp/D

Ve=V(1+Kv/S)

or

S=Sp/D

S=|(V.Kv)/(Ve-V)|

Where 'Ve' is effective velocity, 'V' is the incoming velocity, 'Kv' is a coefficient, 'D' is the diameter of the turbine, 'S' is the spacing coefficient, and 'Sp' is the spacing.

Hence;

Sp=S/D

or

Sp=(|(V.Kv)/(Ve-V)|)/D

Costing is also attached at the end of this Step.

The Cost of the Wind Wall should not be tooo high as it will be not a reliable source of electricity. For that we need to understand how ROI (Return Of Investment ) works.

ROI:

ROI is a financial metric that helps you measure how profitable an investment is relative to its cost. It’s one of the most widely used tools in business and finance to evaluate the efficiency of an investment.

Where ROI= ((Net Profit)/(Total Investment Cost))*100

Net Profit= Total Revenue – Total Costs

Ideally we do not want the ROI to be below 25%

Costing:

First we need to make a prototype to check if it is feasible in the real world scenarios. Usually the prototype would be more expensive that making it in bulk as making a single or a few parts is expensive.

For example: if I have to 3d print all the 9 blades, it will be around 15Kg of filament and at ~800Rs (9.36 $us) a kilo, that is a grand total of 12000Rs (140$). THAT is a lot of mony... ( in India that is the equivalent of someone's salary a month!)

But if we make in bulk:- let's say that the mould of the blade is at 300000Rs (3,510.$) and we make about 100 Wind Walls in a year, that is 3000Rs (35$) for each wall! (AND the cost keeps decreasing as the number of blades produced increases!)

That is a 25% drop in cost of just the blades per 'wall'. (And the Blades will be the most expensive part.)

The targeted cost of mass production of the 'Wind Wall' is at 20000-25000Rs (292$) per 'Wall'

(an average turbine of 1Kw power sells for about 1000$).

Below is the costing for the 'prototype' of the wind wall.

Frame

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Generator Casing

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The Blade

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Stator and Rotor

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Bearing and Blots

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Net Cost

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We would be building the prototype soon as our college accepts the funding and when we start buying the materials.

Will Keep updating soon!!!

The Wind Wall project represents more than just a renewable energy prototype—it is a bold reimagining of how we harness wind in constrained, urban, and underutilized vertical spaces. Through the design and construction of this modular VAWT system, I explored not just the physics and engineering behind wind energy, but also the broader implications of decentralized power generation (As the energy market is skyrocketing and green energy is a investor magnet).

This project challenged me to think critically about real-world constraints: cost, efficiency, spatial limitations, and scalability. From the aerodynamic simulations of the Ugrinsky blade profile to the intricacies of generator design, every component was an opportunity to balance theory with practice. The addition of a helical twist, the modularity of the system, and the decision to go with drag-type turbines for low wind start-up speeds all reflect a deliberate effort to optimize the design for urban practicality and reliability.

What I’ve learned is that innovation doesn't always require a leap into the unknown—it often involves refining what already exists and combining proven ideas in new ways. Clean energy solutions must not only work in ideal conditions but adapt to the real-world diversity environments and user needs.

Moving forward, I aim to continue refining the Wind Wall—exploring control systems (break systems in case high winds), energy storage integration, and lightweight materials to make the system even more efficient and accessible. My hope is that this project inspires others to view walls, fences, and overlooked structures as untapped opportunities for energy generation.

Every small innovation in sustainability adds up. The Wind Wall may not power cities alone, but it can contribute meaningfully to a collective shift toward cleaner, smarter, and more localized energy systems.

Thank you sooo much for your time, I hope this instructible was helpful.

Have a great day!!! 😊

My References:-

1. Numerical Study On The Performance Of 2-d Ugrinsky Wind Turbine Model
2. (PDF) Design and fabrication of a helical vertical axis wind turbine for electricity supply
3. (PDF) Blade Dimension Optimization and Performance Analysis of the 2-D Ugrinsky Wind Turbine
4. The principle and applications of Bernoulli equation - IOPscience
5. Effect of Helix Angle on the Performance of Helical Vertical Axis Wind Turbine
6. https://www.youtube.com/@ThinkingandTinkering