A Comparison of Vertical and Horizontal Wind Turbines for Offshore Applications

Today the number of wind turbines for offshore applications is continuously increasingly, however, currently only horizontal wind turbines are used in all of these applications. The study presented in this paper reveals the fact that vertical axis wind turbines (VAWT) are a better option for some offshore applications in comparison to horizontal ones. The comparison is done in different aspects. First is cost. This includes all different costs such as the cost of turbines, structure costs and grid connection costs. Another aspect is the emergence of new technology. Using new designs of vertical wind turbines, like those that uses composites instead of steel or those that eliminates the use of gearbox, improves the efficiency of vertical wind turbines. The problem of self-starting in vertical wind turbines is also eradicated using different new designs such as using the grid connection as a driver or using hybrid vertical wind turbines. Hence, it is necessary to consider any recent new designs of vertical wind turbines for different offshore applications. For example, small and gearless vertical wind turbines can be mounted on boats, on offshore yacht gas stations, or in large numbers on floating structures as a wind farm of small VAWTs. Therefore, another factor in the comparison is the structures for wind turbines. Easier repair and maintenance, noise and environmental impact, and Benthos effect are also considered in this comparison.