Optimized design and performance parameters for wind turbine blades of a solar updraft tower (SUT) plant using theories of Schmitz and aerodynamics forces

Abstract

For extracting maximum power output from the wind, it is very important that the blades of a small wind turbine should rotate at any range of wind velocity. A step has been taken to estimate the optimized design and performance parameters of small scale wind turbine blades for a solar updraft tower (SUT). The pitch angle (β), relative wind angle (φ), lift force (dFL) and relative chord length (c/R) of rotor blade are estimated and optimized using conservation of angular momentum (Schmitz theory) and theory of aerodynamic forces on an airfoil. For different blade segments, dFL and power generation were evaluated and analysed. β, φ and dFL were optimised such as 18.4°, 26.4° and 0.0052 N, respectively, for achieving the maximum power output of 0.06 W at lower wind velocities (2 m/s). At higher wind velocities (10 m/s), the above parameters are optimised as 42.9°, 50.94° and 0.168 N, respectively for achieving a maximum power output of 1.75 W. The optimized values are compared with values from literature and these were found to be in reasonable agreement.