The depletion of global fossil fuel reserves combined with mounting environmental concerns has served to focus attention on the development of ecologically compatible and renewable alternative sources of energy. Wind energy, with its impressive growth rate of 40% over the last five years, is the fastest growing alternate source of energy in the world since its purely economic potential is complemented by its great positive environmental impact. The wind turbine, whether it may be a Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine (HAWT) or a Vertical Axis Wind Turbine (VAWT), offers a practical way to convert the wind energy into electrical or mechanical energy. Although this book focuses on the aerodynamic design and performance of VAWTs based on the Darrieus concept, it also discusses the comparison between HAWTs and VAWTs, future trends in design and the inherent socio-economic and environmental friendly aspects of wind energy as an alternate source of energy.

How can non-windy places make use of wind power for electricity generation? Advanced Wind Turbines provides detailed information that is of great practical importance to wind turbine practitioners from small and congested city-states, where the lack of vast land and high wind speed render the conventional wind turbine less effective. It introduces the non-conventional Darrieus and Savonius wind turbines, as well as their hybrid version, covering basic concepts, computational modelling and recent advances in experimental optimization.What about those who prefer wind turbines in faraway oceans to take advantage of high wind speed, or who come from countries with a lack of shallow seabed? Floating offshore wind turbines are also discussed, and the dynamics of floating vis-à-vis grounded wind turbines are thoroughly expounded upon to aid practitioners in achieving more accurate performance modelling. This is a work of paramount usefulness for areas which have long wanted to jump on the renewable energy bandwagon, but have thus far been hampered by their natural geographical limitations.