How to calculate the torque for a vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT)

[Brendan Nelson]

For my senior design project we are designing a vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT) and trying to increase efficiency by adding flexible parts to the blades. We are currently in the process of ordering a motor/generator where we can test our new model against the same model but with standard blades and compare power generated between the two. I need to first know how to calculate the torque generated by our design, so that I can order an appropriate motor. I have found a good one on amazon but I'm not sure if our small design can produce enough torque to get it spinning. How to I calculate torque produced for a given wind speed of our design?

 

[Dr.D]

Start by calculating the lift and drag forces on your blades. The determine the moment of these forces about the axis of rotation.