Design and Experimental Analysis of a Magnetically Levitated Vertical Axis Wind Turbine Integrated with Photovoltaic Solar System for Sustainable Energy Harvesting

The growing global demand for clean and sustainable energy has accelerated research into innovative power generation systems. This paper investigates the design, development, and experimental validation of a frictionless Magnetic Levitation Vertical Axis Wind Turbine (ML-VAWT) hybridized with a photovoltaic (PV) solar energy module. The system exploits the repulsive characteristics of high-grade Neodymium Iron Boron (NdFeB, Grade N52) ring magnets to achieve complete mechanical frictionlessness, enabling the turbine rotor to commence rotation at wind velocities as low as 1.5 m/s. The hybrid architecture ensures an uninterrupted power supply: the ML-VAWT operates effectively during wind availability, whereas the solar PV module compensates during periods of inadequate wind but sufficient solar radiation. Experimental observations indicate that at a rotational speed of 710 RPM, the ML-VAWT generates an output voltage of 21.8 V, markedly outperforming a conventional wind turbine which yielded only 13.0 V at 285 RPM under comparable test conditions. The complete prototype was fabricated at an economical cost of ₹15,200, establishing its feasibility for decentralized small-scale power generation applications.