Abstract
This paper presents a comprehensive experimental and numerical investigation of the aerodynamics of a vertical-axis Darrieus wind turbine equipped with newly developed modified asymmetric blades intended to enhance performance at low and variable wind speeds. Using URANS modeling (SST k–ω) combined with full-scale testing, a detailed comparison was carried out against the classical NACA 0021 airfoil. The results show that the asymmetric profile increases starting torque by 30–40%, reduces negative torque by 20–25%, and decreases load pulsations by 15–20%, owing to the delayed onset of dynamic stall and the stabilization of the vortex wake structure. Within the optimal operating range of TSR = 2.5–4, an 18–22% increase in pressure differential is observed, resulting in a higher power coefficient; the maximum Cp reaches 0.15, exceeding that of the symmetric configuration by 20–25%. The agreement between CFD predictions and experimental measurements exceeds 95%, confirming the robustness of the numerical model employed. The findings clearly demonstrate the substantial effectiveness of the proposed blade geometry and its strong potential for next-generation VAWTs optimized for regions with low wind resources.