Analyzing the Unsteady Dynamic Behaviour of a Small Wind Turbine for Urban Applications

Abstract

The use of wind energy in urban areas is challenging especially for the unsteadiness of the resource on very short time scales. This makes the full conversion of the resource almost impossible because the wind turbine is not able to optimally follow the wind fluctuations exactly balancing the production and the load. Therefore the analysis and the development of conversion systems specifically suited for urban areas need to be faced with a different approach with respect to large wind power plants. In this work, a new experimental and numerical approach is proposed and tested for the development and the characterization of a small horizontal axis wind turbine. The method is aimed at studying how the turbine and the control system are able to react to a controlled turbulent wind generated experimentally in the “R. Balli” Wind tunnel at the University of Perugia. This new experimental approach is able to give useful information on how the system design can be adjusted to the specific urban conditions improving the aerodynamic and control system dynamic performance.