As a critical component of sustainable energy systems, enhancing the efficiency of Vertical Axis Wind Turbine (VAWT) is paramount. This study addresses the key Challenges of poor startup performance and low power output in VAWTs by investigating the aerodynamic performance of an optimized double Darrieus vertical axis wind turbine (DD-VAWT) via design of experiment (DOE) and response surface methodology (RSM). The numerical method was validated with experimental data and reported numerical work. Response surface statistical analysis was conducted to evaluate the effect of the designed variables on the objective function with 29 cases. The optimal parameters of four designed variables were determined after linear regression analysis to obtain the optimal DD-VAWT. The aerodynamic performance of the optimal DD-VAWT was numerically studied and compared with that of a one-blade VAWT and a pre-optimized DD-VAWT. The velocity contours of different azimuth angles reveal that the optimal blades significantly minimized flow disturbances at the interface of the primary and auxiliary blades, further enhancing their performance. The results demonstrate that the output power of the optimized double-layer blades increased by approximately 28.5% compared to the original ones. This study provides new insights for improving the aerodynamic performance of VAWT and has much potential beneficial to the application of the DD-VAWT technique, supporting the broader transition towards a sustainable energy future.
Wu et al. (2026) studied this question.