Aerodynamic Design for Wind-Lens Turbine Using Optimization Technique

Abstract

An optimum aerodynamic design method has been developed for the new type of wind turbine called “wind-lens turbine”. The wind-lens turbine has a diffuser with brim called “wind-lens”, by which the wind concentration on the turbine rotor and the significant enhancement of the turbine output can be achieved. The present design method is based on a genetic algorithm (GA) and a quasi-three-dimensional design of turbine rotor. The quasi-three-dimensional design consists of two parts: meridional viscous flow calculation and two-dimensional blade element design. In the meridional viscous flow calculation, an axisymmetric viscous flow is numerically analyzed on a meridional plane to determine the wind flow rate through the wind-lens and the spanwise distribution of the rotor inlet flow. In the two-dimensional rotor blade element design, the turbine rotor blade profile is determined by a one-dimensional through flow modeling for the wind-lens turbine and a two-dimensional blade element theory based on the momentum theorem of the ducted turbine. In the present optimization method, the Non-dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm II (NSGA-II) is used as evaluation and selection model. The Real-coded Ensemble Crossover (REX) is used as crossover model. The present aerodynamic design method has been applied to the coupled design of turbine rotor and wind-lens. Total performances and flow fields of the wind-lens turbines designed have been investigated by Reynolds averaged Navier-Stokes simulations, in order to verify the present design method.