Performance enhancement of a semi-active flapping foil energy harvester via airfoil with modified trailing edge and jet flap

Abstract

This paper aims to numerically study effectiveness of the use of a suitable combination of an airfoil with modified trailing edge and jet flap in enhancing the energy harvesting performance of a semi-active flapping foil. The configuration of the proposed airfoil is created by referring to the method of generating a blunt trailing edge airfoil. The most promising airfoil profile is obtained by only thickening the rear part of the original airfoil to reach a thickness of 2% chord, which can apparently promote the energy capturing capability of a semi-active flapping foil when compared with its conventional counterpart with a sharp trailing edge airfoil. Furthermore, a jet flap, an active flow control technique, is then applied on the aft portion of the modified airfoil and the effectiveness of this combination is assessed by a comparison with that of the passive flow control device, Gurney flap. The present findings suggest that this combination can be much more effective than a Gurney flap in significantly increasing the energy harvesting efficiency of the semi-active flapping foil over a wide range of operating conditions, and also has the advantage of structural integrity, which make it more suitable for harsh environment applications.