Abstract
The airfoil plays an important role in improving the performance of wind turbines. However, there is less research dedicated to the airfoils for Vertical Axis Wind Turbines (VAWTs) compared to the research on Horizontal Axis Wind Turbines (HAWTs). With the objective of maximizing the aerodynamic performance of the airfoil by optimizing its geometrical parameters and by considering the law of motion of VAWTs, a new airfoil, designated the LUT airfoil (Lanzhou University of Technology), was designed for lift-driven VAWTs by employing the sequential quadratic programming optimization method. Afterwards, the pressure on the surface of the airfoil and the flow velocity were measured in steady conditions by employing wind tunnel experiments and particle image velocimetry technology. Then, the distribution of the pressure coefficient and aerodynamic loads were analyzed for the LUT airfoil under free transition. The results show that the LUT airfoil has a moderate thickness (20.77%) and moderate camber (1.11%). Moreover, compared to the airfoils commonly used for VAWTs, the LUT airfoil, with a wide drag bucket and gentle stall performance, achieves a higher maximum lift coefficient and lift–drag ratios at the Reynolds numbers 3 × 105 and 5 × 105.
Highlights
In an urban or offshore environment, Vertical Axis Wind Turbines (VAWTs), especially the lift-driven type, have unique advantages due to their lower cost, lower noise, simpler structure, and ability to actively accept wind energy from different directions [1,2,3]
Studying the effects of the airfoil on the aerodynamic performance of VAWTs, Mohamed et al [12] focused on 25 kinds of airfoils, and the results indicate that the cambered airfoil LS(1)-0413 increases the power coefficient compared to NACA 0018
We designed an asymmetrical airfoil for straight-bladed VAWTs based on the law of motion of the VAWTs by employing the sequential quadratic programming (SQP) optimization method; we called this design the LUT
Summary
In an urban or offshore environment, Vertical Axis Wind Turbines (VAWTs), especially the lift-driven type, have unique advantages due to their lower cost, lower noise, simpler structure, and ability to actively accept wind energy from different directions [1,2,3]. One reason is the lack of completed theoretical research on VAWTs. For example, the multiple flow tube theory, which is based on blade element momentum (BEM), is applied to the VAWT design, the results are still far from satisfactory because of the lack of adequate theoretical correction [6]. The multiple flow tube theory, which is based on blade element momentum (BEM), is applied to the VAWT design, the results are still far from satisfactory because of the lack of adequate theoretical correction [6] Another possible reason is that HAWTs have thousands of special airfoils, such as the FFA (FLYGTEKNISKA FORSOKSANSTALTEN) series, DU (Delft University) series, RISØ series, and S series. The airfoil plays an essential role in the design of a wind turbine and greatly affects the wind turbine’s performance
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