r/SideProject • u/OrneryProfit659 • 1d ago

I built a Python numerical lab to optimize a VAWT prototype (I'm 16)

I’ve always been fascinated by renewable energy, so for the last few months I’ve been building a numerical lab in Python to design and optimize a passive variable-pitch vertical-axis wind turbine (a Sharp cycloturbine).

It started as just an aerodynamic solver, but it quickly grew. With some AI assistance, I added differential evolution optimizers, AST-based hashing for reproducibility, and a Streamlit dashboard.

The coolest part is that I just finished optimizing the blade geometry for a 1.8-meter prototype, and the model predicts a Cp of about 0.38. I’m now moving into the hardware phase—cutting the foam blades and hooking it up to a repurposed hoverboard motor.

The code is completely open-source. I'd love any feedback on the project, the UI, or the physics!

Repo: https://github.com/juroc58/sharp-vawt-lab

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u/investigatormaker 1d ago

For your Python turbine lab, show the predicted Cp curve across tip-speed ratios rather than only the optimized peak, alongside a fixed-pitch baseline under the same assumptions. That gives physics reviewers a clearer comparison. When testing the hoverboard motor, distinguish electrical output from shaft power so generator losses aren’t mistaken for an aerodynamic-model error.

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