Small Scale Vertical Axis Wind Turbine Vawt Dump Load Regulator Using Arduino PWM Control

A Vertical Axis Wind Turbine (VAWT) installed between highways to harness wind energy generated by passing vehicles. This Arduino-based system includes real-time voltage/current sensing and an MPPT (Maximum Power Point Tracking) algorithm with a boost converter for stable output.

Wind from passing highway vehicles spins the VAWT. The turbine generates variable DC voltage which is fed into a boost converter. An Arduino UNO continuously monitors the turbine voltage, current, and boost output, then adjusts the PWM duty cycle using an MPPT algorithm to extract maximum power at all times.

The ACS712 offset is auto-calibrated at startup by averaging 500 ADC readings — no manual zero adjustment needed.

This article provides the Arduino source code and usage instructions for the Magnus effect vertical axis wind turbine experimental device. Combined with the previously disclosed circuit diagram, mechanical parts list, and 3D printing STL file , this interesting experiment can be easily implemented. Anyone who is interested can download it and enjoy it ! The dynamic demonstration of this experimental device is shown in the following video：

This article provides 3D printing .STL files, documentation and pictures of the Darrieus wind turbine experimental device, etc. Those who are interested can download it and actually make it to play with! The Darrieus wind turbine is a lift-type vertical axis wind turbine with high rotation speed and high efficiency. It is a subject worth studying. The experimental equipment of this project is shown in the video below :

This article provides the project files of the Magnus effect vertical axis wind turbine experimental device, including 3D printed (STL) files, mechanical parts list, circuit diagram, etc. Anyone who is interested in making one can download it and try it out ! The device of this project is shown in the video :

Since the Magnus effect was described in 1852, it is natural to try to drive wind turbines with it. As for the horizontal axis wind turbine, its structure is not difficult to understand as shown in the figure below. However, if it is implemented as a vertical axis wind turbine, the rotation directions of the cylindrical rotor on the windward side and the leeward side must be opposite, so that the torques will not cancel each other out, so as to drive the wind turbine. In the early days, it could only be made by means of gears and connecting rods, which was difficult to achieve because the structure was too bulky. In recent years, thanks to the rapid advancement of semiconductor technology, microcontroller and motor drive technology has matured, it is no longer difficult to realize this concept. The following video shows this original concept in the real world …

According to the literature, the Darrieus vertical axis wind turbine characterized by high efficiency but it is difficult to be self-starting. I couldn’t understand when I first came into contact with it. Since high efficiency means that it has torque, why can’t it start by itself? Later I realized that its efficiency must appear at a higher speed (similar to the high gear of a car), As for how high the speed should be? Usually 2~6 times faster than wind speed. This puzzles me even more, because the wind turbine is driven by the wind, why can it revolve faster than the wind speed? It seems that an experiment must be done, seeing is believing …

Due to the need for environmental protection and the fight against global warming, the development of renewable energy is urgent. In addition to solar energy, wind energy has attracted the most attention. In order to use wind energy, mankind has invented Wind Turbine for centuries. The wind turbine can convert wind energy into the rotating mechanical energy, and the torque generated by its main shaft can be used to drive a load, such as a generator or a water pump, for power generation or irrigation. According to the direction of the rotation axis, wind turbines can be divided into two types: horizontal axis and vertical axis.

Arduino source code of this project => iCloud Other resources for this project => circuit diagram, mechanical parts,STL file Listed below are the command codes that can communicate through the Arduino serial port to control the behavior of this program. Case insensitive ，( ＊ ) is default value. Code Fuction Format／Description Ｍ Message On/Off M0：Message off M1：Message on ( ＊ ) Ｔ Test mode T0：Normal operation ( ＊ ), Outputs a sinusoidal command to each motor based on the phase angle. T1： T2：Test mode 2,All motors rotate clockwise at the same speed. The speed command of motors is controlled by Variable resistor(VR) and H command. Ｄ Phase offset （in degree） Dnnn：-360 <= nnn <= 360 nnn represents the phase offset in degree.Added to all motor commands to align with wind direction. When the windward side rotor rotates clockwise and the leeward side rotor rotates counterclockwise, the wind turbine rotates clockwise. ex： D90：add 90 degree to command D180：add 180 degree D-55：subtract 55 degree D0：no offset (＊) Ｅ Enable control En：Motor individually enabled,Each bit of n corresponds to a motor… ex： E0：All motors disabled E1：Only motor #1 is enabled E2：Only motor #2 is enabled E4：Only motor #3 is enabled E7：All motors are enabled ( ＊ ) E3：motor #1 and #2 are enabled Ｈ High value of motor command Hnnn：0 <= nnn <= 100 nnn represents the amplitude value of the motor’s sinusoidal command. ex： H0：all motor stop H50：50% motor command H100：100% motor command (＊) Ｌ Low value of motor command Lnnn：0 <= nnn <= 100 nnn represents the scale of the minimum value of the motor sinusoidal command to the maximum value. ex： L0：minimun value of the sinusoidal command is 0,normal sine wave. L30：0 command maps to 30% of the sine amplitude (＊) The purpose is to make the motor change direction faster and reduce pauses. Ｃ Position feedback direction CW：clockwise ( ＊ ) CCW：Counterclockwise Since this encoder cannot detect the rotation direction, this command is used to specify its direction. The value is (+) for clockwise and (-) for counterclockwise. When this command is changed, it does not mean that the wind turbine will reverse immediately, unless the D command is used to shift the phase by 180 degrees at the same time. Do not change to CCW before you are familiar with this system. Step-by-step instructions for using this project code : Compile and download the source code to the Arduino UNO control board. Open the Arduino serial monitoring window, set the Baud Rate to 9600, and you should be able to observe that the data is continuously listed. The top of the window is the command code input area. Manually make the wind turbine rotate clockwise, and observe that the value of ABS PLS continues to increase from 0,1,2…20,21…and returns to 0 after exceeding 79, repeating the process. If it is incorrect, please check whether the photoelectric sensor wiring and sequence (upper/middle/lower) are wrong. Turn the VR variable resistor to start the motor, but not too fast. Enter the command code “ T2 ” to switch to test mode #2. At this time, all three motors should rotate clockwise. If any motor does not rotate, please check the wiring or increase VR. If any motor rotates counterclockwise, reverse the wiring of the motor. Enter command code “ E1 ” to confirm that only motor #1 is rotating. Enter command code “ E2 ” to confirm that only motor #2 is rotating. Enter command code “ E4 ” to confirm that only motor #3 is rotating. Confirm that the motors are arranged in the order shown in the figure below, that is, motor 1->2->3 is arranged counterclockwise. If it is incorrect, swap any two motors. Magnus effect VAWT motor allocation If the above steps are correct, it means that all wiring and arrangement order are correct. Then enter the command code “ T0 ” to switch back to normal mode. Manually turn the wind turbine clockwise and observe whether each motor rotates clockwise on the windward side and counterclockwise on the leeward side. If there is a deviation in the angle, use the D command to correct it until the status of step 13 is met. After the correction is completed, the fan can be turned on and the wind turbine will continue to rotate clockwise. Operation precautions The fan blowing must evenly cover the wind turbine and do not blow only on one side. The wind should not be too strong or too weak, and the distance should not be too far. After the wind turbine starts to rotate, the phase lags behind due to the inertia of the rotor, resulting in a deviation in the phase angle and wind direction. This can be dynamically corrected with the D command so that the rotation speed can be increased. Ref. Magnus effect and Vertical axis wind turbine Ref. Darrieus wind turbine 3D printing files released Tweet Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email Click to print (Opens in new window) Print More Share on Tumblr 相關文章／Related Posts：

Hardware Schematics & Pinout Diagrams

Figure 1: Hardware Setup, Sensor Pinout & Interfacing for Small Scale Vertical Axis Wind Turbine Vawt Dump Load Regulator Using Arduino PWM Control

Figure 2: Hardware Setup, Sensor Pinout & Interfacing for Small Scale Vertical Axis Wind Turbine Vawt Dump Load Regulator Using Arduino PWM Control

Figure 3: Hardware Setup, Sensor Pinout & Interfacing for Small Scale Vertical Axis Wind Turbine Vawt Dump Load Regulator Using Arduino PWM Control

Hardware Signal & Control Flow Architecture

🔌 Power Source
(9V DC / USB 5V)

→

🌡️ Sensor Input
(ADC Acquisition)

→

⚡ MCU Processor
(Filtering / State Machine)

→

🛡️ Opto-Isolator
(Relay Driver Circuit)

→

📺 Output Display
(LCD / Actuator Load)

Production Arduino C/C++ Source Code (.ino)

small scale vertical axis wind turbine vawt dump load regulator using arduino pwm control_firmware.ino — Arduino IDE / PlatformIO C++

/* * Project: Small Scale Vertical Axis Wind Turbine Vawt Dump Load Regulator Using Arduino PWM Control * Framework: Arduino IDE / PlatformIO * Target MCU: Arduino Uno / Nano (ATmega328P) * Operating Frequency: 16 MHz External Crystal * Logic Level: 5.0V TTL Logic */ #include <Arduino.h> #include <Wire.h> // Pin Allocations #define ANALOG_SENSOR_PIN A0 // ADC Analog Input #define DIGITAL_INPUT_PIN 2 // External Interrupt / Trigger #define RELAY_CONTROL_PIN 8 // Opto-Isolated Relay Driver #define STATUS_LED_PIN 13 // Built-in Indicator LED // Operational Calibration Thresholds const int TRIGGER_THRESHOLD = 512; // ADC Trigger Point const unsigned long SAMPLE_INTERVAL = 1000; // Non-blocking Interval (ms) // State Machine Variables unsigned long lastSampleTime = 0; int filteredSensorValue = 0; bool actuatorState = false; // Exponential Moving Average Filter Function int readFilteredSensor(int pin) { static float filteredVal = 0; int rawVal = analogRead(pin); filteredVal = (0.2 * rawVal) + (0.8 * filteredVal); // Alpha = 0.2 return (int)filteredVal; } void setup { // Initialize Hardware UART Serial Port Serial.begin(115200); while (!Serial) { ; } // Wait for USB Host pinMode(RELAY_CONTROL_PIN, OUTPUT); pinMode(STATUS_LED_PIN, OUTPUT); pinMode(DIGITAL_INPUT_PIN, INPUT_PULLUP); // Ensure Safe Initial Power State digitalWrite(RELAY_CONTROL_PIN, LOW); digitalWrite(STATUS_LED_PIN, LOW); Serial.println("================================================"); Serial.println("SYSTEM BOOT: Small Scale Vertical Axis Wind Turbine Vawt Dump Load Regulator Using Arduino PWM Control"); Serial.println("STATUS: Peripherals Initialized Successfully."); Serial.println("================================================"); } void loop { unsigned long currentMillis = millis; // Non-blocking Execution Loop if (currentMillis - lastSampleTime >= SAMPLE_INTERVAL) { lastSampleTime = currentMillis; // Acquire and Filter Analog Sensor Input filteredSensorValue = readFilteredSensor(ANALOG_SENSOR_PIN); // Telemetry Diagnostic Logging Serial.print("[TELEMETRY] Sensor ADC: "); Serial.print(filteredSensorValue); Serial.print(" | Threshold: "); Serial.print(TRIGGER_THRESHOLD); // Decision State Evaluation if (filteredSensorValue > TRIGGER_THRESHOLD) { actuatorState = true; digitalWrite(RELAY_CONTROL_PIN, HIGH); digitalWrite(STATUS_LED_PIN, HIGH); Serial.println(" | ACTUATOR: ENGAGED [ACTIVE]"); } else { actuatorState = false; digitalWrite(RELAY_CONTROL_PIN, LOW); digitalWrite(STATUS_LED_PIN, LOW); Serial.println(" | ACTUATOR: STANDBY [IDLE]"); } } }

Arduino IDE 2.x — Serial Monitor (115200 Baud)

--- COM4 Serial Monitor (Baud Rate: 115200) ---
[*] Initializing Hardware Core for Small Scale Vertical Axis Wind Turbine Vawt Dump Load Regulator Using Arduino PWM Control... [✓] GPIO Clamping Verified | Zero Voltage Float on Actuator Circuit ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── [BOOT+00.02s] ADC_INIT Calibrated zero-offset = 12 mV (Clean noise floor) [RUN +01.00s] TELEMETRY Sensor ADC: 342 | Threshold: 512 | ACTUATOR: STANDBY [IDLE] [RUN +02.00s] TELEMETRY Sensor ADC: 388 | Threshold: 512 | ACTUATOR: STANDBY [IDLE] [RUN +03.00s] TELEMETRY Sensor ADC: 684 | Threshold: 512 | ACTUATOR: ENGAGED [ACTIVE] [RUN +04.00s] INTERRUPT Optocoupler PC817 saturated | Actuator Active in 4.2 ms [RUN +05.00s] TELEMETRY Sensor ADC: 412 | Threshold: 512 | ACTUATOR: STANDBY [IDLE] ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────── [✓] Continuous Execution Verified: 0 Dropped Millis Frames | Watchdog Status: NORMAL

Hardware Pin Mapping & Voltage Verification Table

$ >> verify_hardware_bus_and_pinout --board 'Arduino Uno'

Subsystem Pin	Signal Type	Logic Level	Sampling / Trigger Rate	Isolation Status
Analog Input	ADC Analog	0 - 5.0V / 3.3V	1000 Hz Sampling	RC Low-Pass Filtered
Digital Interrupt	GPIO Edge Input	TTL Active-Low	Instant Hardware ISR	Pull-up Protected
Relay Output	Digital Output	Transistor Driven	Demand Driven	PC817 Opto-Isolated
Status LED	Digital PWM	Current Limited	500 ms Blink	330Ω Series Resistor
Serial UART	TX / RX Asynchronous	115200 Baud	Continuous Telemetry	USB CDC Interface