Abstract
Small wind turbines (SWTs) can be significantly sensitive to variances in the blade geometry shape when their operation in relatively low ranges of Reynolds numbers is considered. An SWT case study, where an existing wind turbine prototype was equipped with a redesigned blade set, to increase its aerodynamic efficiency, is presented. The geometry modification process was targeted at maximizing the turbine power coefficient in the presumed point of low Reynolds operation. The applied design and analysis methods included practical implementation of previously established “Fast Track” procedure for wind turbine development. A newly prepared blade geometry and a reference blade set were examined numerically and experimentally. Selected design and assessment processes were supposed to be low resource demanding, making them possibly highly applicable in renewable energy industry. Therefore, the numerical analysis of both geometries was based on BEM (blade element momentum theory) equations. The research was expanded by model validation in small-scale wind tunnel tests to provide detailed information on BEM data reliability in comparison to the results of the experiment. The small-scale analysis, performed in Reynolds numbers below 100,000, provided information sufficient for evaluation of the redesigned blade. Implementation of the geometry obtained throughout the proposed procedure increased the rotor’s maximum power coefficient by 10%.
Highlights
A development of renewable energy sources has become a crucial sector of power industry in modern Europe
Numerical analysis implementing CFD Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) equations is often recommended as an expletive step, to gain more detailed data on rotor aerodynamics, such as regions of the flow separation around the blade [16]
The recently designed FX blade geometry provided the rotor with a higher maximal power coefficient
Summary
A development of renewable energy sources has become a crucial sector of power industry in modern Europe. At the same time grid solutions which include distributed power generation systems have become a widely considered alternative to centralized power production. Small wind turbines (SWTs) have gradually gained popularity as a solution for individual customers, just next to photovoltaic and solar installations. The wind turbines which are officially referred to as “small” can widely vary in their size and output power. In terms of rotor dimensions, the diameter of 10 m used to be considered the upper end of the small wind turbine range [2]. The limit of turbines which are considered small, as described in standard IEC 61400-2, is determined by less than 200 m2 of the rotor swept area and approximately 50 kW of the power generated at a voltage below 1000 VAC or
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