Wind Energy Efficiency Research Articles

Optimizing Aerofoil Design: A Comprehensive Analysis of Aerodynamic Efficiency through CFD Simulations and Wind Tunnel Experiments

This study explores the aerodynamic properties of different aerofoil shapes and their performance under varying flow conditions to identify the most efficient design based on lift-to-drag ratio, stall behaviour, and overall aerodynamic efficiency. Using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations, several aerofoil profiles were analysed at different angles of attack and flow speeds. These simulations were validated through wind tunnel experiments, offering a comprehensive understanding of aerofoil performance in real-world scenarios. The combination of CFD analysis and wind tunnel testing enabled a thorough assessment of each aerofoil shape, leading to the discovery of a specific aerofoil with a high lift-to-drag ratio and stable performance at high angles of attack. These results have significant implications for the design of wings and blades in aerospace and aeronautical applications, improving fuel efficiency and performance in both aviation and wind energy sectors. Additionally, dynamic roughness shows potential in reducing separation bubbles, but further investigation is needed to assess its effectiveness at higher angles of attack and elevated Reynolds numbers. Understanding the scalability and practical application of dynamic roughness in real-world scenarios is essential. Current research on surface modifications like dimples and riblets lacks optimized configurations for varying conditions. More research is needed to understand the interaction between surface geometries and the boundary layer, particularly at higher angles of attack and Reynolds numbers. Combining experimental and numerical methods can provide a comprehensive understanding of flow control techniques. The limited research on applying flow control strategies to wind turbine blades indicates a significant opportunity to improve wind energy efficiency. Future studies should focus on optimizing multiple techniques and addressing practical challenges, such as durability, cost-effectiveness, and integration into existing systems. Investigating the cost-effectiveness and durability of these modifications for long-term use will be vital for their successful adoption in the industry. Expanding research to include the effects of environmental factors like temperature and humidity will offer a more complete understanding of flow control in various operating conditions. By addressing these gaps, advancements in aerodynamic performance can be achieved, benefiting the aerospace and wind energy sectors.

Optimal Coordinated Operation for Hydro–Wind Power System

The intermittent and stochastic characteristics of wind power pose a higher demand on the complementarity of hydropower. Studying the optimal coordinated operation of hydro–wind power systems has become an extremely effective way to create safe and efficient systems. This paper aims to study the optimal coordinated operation of a hybrid power system based on a newly established Simulink model. The analysis of the optimal coordinated operation undergoes two simulation steps, including the optimization of the complementary mode and the optimization of capacity allocation. The method of multiple complementary indicators is adopted to enable the optimization analysis. The results from the complementary analysis show that the hydraulic tracing effect obviously mitigates operational risks and reduces power losses under adverse wind speeds. The results from the analysis of capacity allocation also show that the marginal permeation of installed wind capacity will not exceed 250 MW for a 100 MW hydropower plant under random wind speeds. These simulation results are obtained based on the consideration of some real application scenarios, which help power plants to make the optimal operation plan with a high efficiency of wind energy and high hydro flexibility.

Advancing Wind Energy Efficiency: A Systematic Review of Aerodynamic Optimization in Wind Turbine Blade Design

Amid rising global demand for sustainable energy, wind energy emerges as a crucial renewable resource, with the aerodynamic optimization of wind turbine blades playing a key role in enhancing energy efficiency. This systematic review scrutinizes recent advancements in blade aerodynamics, focusing on the integration of cutting-edge aerodynamic profiles, variable pitch and twist technologies, and innovative materials. It extensively explores the impact of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) on blade design enhancements, illustrating their significant contributions to aerodynamic efficiency improvements. By reviewing research from the last decade, this paper provides a comprehensive overview of current trends, addresses ongoing challenges, and suggests potential future developments in wind turbine blade optimization. Aimed at researchers, engineers, and policymakers, this review serves as a crucial resource, guiding further innovations and aligning with global renewable energy objectives. Ultimately, this work seeks to facilitate technological advancements that enhance the efficiency and viability of wind energy solutions.

Indonesia's Breakthrough in Maximizing Wind Energy Efficiency Through Optimized Blade Configuration

Indonesia faces rising energy demand, risking an energy crisis and increased fossil fuel dependence. This study explores using NACA 0021 airfoil blades to improve wind turbine performance by analyzing the effect of different rotor blade numbers. Conducted at Universitas Muhammadiyah Sidoarjo, the research tested turbines with 2, 3, and 4 blades, measuring current, voltage, power, and efficiency. Results showed that more rotor blades enhance turbine performance, increasing current and voltage output. This suggests optimizing blade configurations can significantly boost small-scale wind energy systems, helping reduce fossil fuel reliance and mitigate the energy crisis. Highlights: 1. More rotor blades boost turbine performance: increased current and voltage.2. NACA 0021 airfoil optimizes small-scale power generation.3. Effective blade configuration reduces fossil fuel reliance, mitigating energy crises. Keywords: wind energy, NACA 0021, rotor blades, turbine performance, renewable energy

CFD wind farm evaluation in complex terrain under free and wake induced flow conditions

Massive deployment of wind energy is critical to achieving the renewable energy production targets. This requires the development and improvement of models and tools for the optimal exploitation of high altitude and complex terrain sites for wind energy installations. Predicting the wind resource assessment of these sites is very challenging, as is predicting the interaction of wind farms in complex terrain with neighbouring installations, which is necessary to maximise the efficiency of wind energy. To address these challenges, the use of high-fidelity Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) models is recommended. In this study, the wind resource at the complex terrain site of the CENER experimental wind farm (Alaiz) is evaluated using steady-state RANS CFD simulations performed with OpenFOAM v2212, taking into account the effects of terrain topography and vegetation. Furthermore, a virtual wind farm located at Alaiz is modelled with the Actuator Disk (AD) method to analyse the effect of topography on the the wake evolution.

Experimental study of turbulent inflow on the aerodynamic performance of a wind turbine with Gurney flaps

Nowadays, wind turbines operate within complex inflow environments. Meanwhile, installing Gurney flaps on existing wind turbines could enhance wind energy efficiency. However, limited research has been conducted on the variation of aerodynamic characteristics of a wind turbine equipped with Gurney flaps under turbulent inflow conditions. Hence, wind tunnel test comparisons were made between the output power, wind load, and wake characteristics of a model wind turbine with and without Gurney flaps. The results demonstrated a correlation between the additional power increase in the wind turbine equipped with Gurney flaps and the aerodynamic variation of the corresponding airfoil. Gurney flaps could be effective at higher tip speed ratios, and the power enhancement efficiency initially increased but then decreased as turbulence intensity increased from a low value to 19.0%. Installing Gurney flaps resulted in significant pulsation peaks within the original inertial sub-range. The time-averaged thrust coefficient shifts upward, but the difference decreases slightly under turbulent conditions. Wake analysis revealed that the presence of additional wake velocity deficits primarily concentrated within the near-wake region, which extends along the spanwise direction. These findings could enhance a better understanding of the aerodynamic performances of wind turbines installing Gurney flaps under varying turbulent flow conditions.

Multi-objective optimization study on the performance of double Darrieus hybrid vertical axis wind turbine based on DOE-RSM and MOPSO-MODM

The Double Darrieus Vertical Axis Wind Turbine (DD-VAWT) effectively enhances wind energy efficiency at low tip speed ratios. In this study, the multi-objective optimization method is constructed for DD-VAWT. The optimization objective is to enhance the power coefficient as well as reduce the maximum instantaneous torque coefficient, while decision variables include the inner ring wind turbine diameter, inner ring wind turbine height, inner ring wind turbine blade airfoil chord length and inner and outer ring wind turbine phase angle. Firstly, the computational fluid hydrodynamics model of DD-VAWT is established and validated by experimental data from the literature. Then, the regression model between critical structural parameters and power coefficients, maximum instantaneous torque coefficients is constructed using response surface analysis. Finally, the multi-objective particle swarm optimization algorithm is used to optimize the objective and the optimal solution is selected from the Pareto frontier solution. This work provides a direction to improve the operating performance of DD-VAWT at low tip speed ratios as well as contributes to energy saving and emission reduction.

Investigation of the performance of a horizontal-axis dual rotor wind turbine

Recent years have seen a rise in interest in wind energy as a useful alternative to harmful energies like fossil fuels. The dual rotor wind turbine (DRWT) offers more rapid rates of wind energy extraction. The current study intends to compare the performance of the turbine with and without the addition of a second rotor. Additionally, it examines how tip speed ratio and phase shift angle will affect DRWT performance. Realizable k-shear stress transport turbulence models are used to solve the three-dimensional, turbulent, stable, and incompressible flow equations for the performance of dual-rotor wind turbines. Domain-independence tests and an impartial mesh test are run to assess the results and ensure their accuracy. The researcher relies on previous studies while constructing the single rotor wind turbine model. This model uses an S826 airfoil. The front and rear rotors are given streamlined representations using ANSYS, according to the researcher. The independent mesh test indicates that the mesh density has 11.5 million elements. The experiment's results show that the DRWT has a significant effect on the efficiency of wind energy.

Parameter optimization method of contra-rotating vertical axis wind turbine: Based on numerical simulation and response surface

In recent years, the depletion of oil resources and increased in air pollution have become the two most serious challenges in the world. Therefore, the offshore vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT) has become a subject of increasing scholarly interest. However, the instability problem of VAWT has become an important reason that limits its continued development. Contra-rotating vertical axis wind turbines (CRVAWT) can improve the recovery efficiency of wind energy and improve the stability of wind turbines. However, the research on simulation analysis and parameter optimization of CRVAWT is not perfect, and further research is needed. This study first performed a numerical simulation of an isolated VAWT using STAR CCM + simulation software and compared the simulation results with wind tunnel tests to verify the accuracy of the model. After that, simulated and comparatively analyzed the proposed CRVAWT. The results indicated that the CRVAWT exhibits a lower power coefficient but better stability than the isolated VAWT. Then, simulations and analyses were conducted on the pitch angle, relative airfoil thickness, rotor spacing, and included angle of the CRVAWT. Finally, a four-parameter, three-level response surface optimization scheme was established using Design-Expert to optimize the blade parameters and obtain the optimal configuration of the contra-rotating wind turbine parameters. After optimization, the power coefficient (Cp) of the CRVAWT is 0.1837, which is 36.68% more than the Cp of pre-optimization and reaches 99.19% of the Cp of the isolated VAWT. And the total torque of the turbine is reduced by 96.96%, which provides a significant stability advantage.

Optimization Layout and Aerodynamic Performance Research on Double Nautilus Vertical-Axis Wind Turbine

The double vertical-axis wind turbine (VAWT) system serves as a high-performance design solution. The Nautilus wind turbine investigated in this research imitated the structure of a Nautilus shell and is a vertical-axis drag-type wind turbine that exhibits relatively low efficiency. Therefore, the improvement of its wind energy efficiency is of paramount importance. This paper utilizes Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) software, based on the Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes equations and dynamic meshing techniques, to conduct numerical investigations on the aerodynamic performance of the Nautilus wind turbine array layout. The effects of wind direction, spacing ratio, and rotation direction are individually studied, and the interpretations and explanations are provided based on flow field characteristics. The results show that when the wind direction is 90°, i.e., a transverse layout, the closer the spacing between the transverse turbines, the higher the average power coefficient of the entire wind turbine system, with little effect from the three rotation directions. The maximum average power coefficient reached 28.9% and the power gain factor (TPGF) reached 11.1%. The enhancement effect primarily originates from the wake interaction among neighboring turbines. The experimental results showed a deviation of 8.1% compared to the CFD simulation results, thus validating the accuracy of the numerical CFD modeling. Ultimately, several array layouts are proposed, based on the prevalent wind direction and spacing ratio research. The enhancement of the wind turbine array’s situation could significantly increase the average efficiency of the entire wind turbine cluster. Consequently, this study provides a reference for the practical application of biomimetic vertical-axis drag-type wind turbine systems in actual engineering.

Improving the efficiency of wind energy through early damage detection

Drones and AI partner to detect damage to wind turbines.

Anti-Saturation Coordination Control of Permanent Magnet Synchronous Wind Power System

This paper is concerned with the anti-saturation control problem of a permanent magnet synchronous wind power system. By virtue of adaptive sliding mode control method and port-controlled Hamiltonian (PCH) control method, a new coordination controller is designed, which removes the input saturation effects and compensates the uncertainties of system model parameters. The controller takes the exponential function with parameters as the coordination function. By adjusting the parameters of coordination function, the designed coordination controller can respond to input saturation more quickly and improve the system’s dynamic performance. The effectiveness of the proposed strategy is demonstrated through simulations. The comparison results with the traditional control approach are also presented. It is shown that the proposed strategy can realize the speed tracking control of the generator and improve the maximum wind energy capture of wind turbine, so as to further improve the utilization efficiency of wind energy.

A Virtual Dual-Ripple Suppression Strategy of Double Fed Wind Turbine Under Wind Shear

Abstract With the increasing size and scale of wind turbines, the ripple caused by wind shear may have negative effects on wind turbines, such as decreasing grid-connected power quality and increasing mechanical loss. To address this issue, a virtual dual-ripple suppression strategy is proposed to suppress the ripple caused by wind shear without additional cost and sacrificing system efficiency. First, in this paper, a three-bladed double-fed wind turbine is taken as the research object with the analysis of its transmission mechanism and form of ripple. Second, an online artificial neural network (ANN) ripple detection method is proposed to detect the time-varying low-frequency ripple with high accuracy. In addition, a virtual dual-ripple suppression strategy composed of two ANN-based filters is utilized to suppress electromagnetic torque ripple and grid-connected power ripple simultaneously. Finally, the accuracy of the presented ANN ripple detection method and suppression strategy are verified by matlab simulation. The results show that the virtual dual-ripple suppression strategy can effectively suppress the transmission of ripple while increasing the conversion efficiency of wind energy without additional hardware circuits and equipment.

Balanced broad learning prediction model for carbon emissions of integrated energy systems considering distributed ground source heat pump heat storage systems and carbon capture & storage

With the development of social industry, numerous carbon emissions have led to global warming and caused a huge negative impact on the environment. Carbon neutrality has been proposed to solve this problem; one of the primary issues in achieving carbon neutrality in integrated energy systems is to reduce carbon emissions. This paper utilizes distributed ground source heat pump heat storage systems in integrated energy systems to simultaneously improve the utilization efficiency of wind energy and solar energy for the first time. Moreover, the carbon capture and storage technology in integrated energy systems is considered to store excess CO2 in geological layer. Energy storage in integrated energy systems is applied to adjust the energy network balance. Finally, a balanced broad learning prediction model considering various heterogeneous data is established for load forecasting with 96.12% prediction accuracy. In four cases of the lower or higher wind and solar energy generation curves, carbon emissions are reduced to 82.02% of the original at least.

Investigation of offshore wind characteristics for the northwest of Türkiye region by using multi-criteria decision-making method (MOORA)

The trend towards clean and natural energy sources is inevitable in light of the growing demand for energy in the current age. In line with these needs, the tendency for wind energy is unavoidable, and it is increasing every year. For this reason, in addition to onshore wind energy fields, there is an obligation to use offshore ones. Since it has a high rate of wind energy efficiency, it has become important to install wind power plants on offshore sites in recent years. Although there are no offshore wind power plants in Türkiye yet, studies are ongoing. Data obtained from WindPro software between 1992 and 2022 were used for the analysis of the wind energy potential of the Northwest (i.e. South Marmara) region of Türkiye. To select the most suitable location for offshore wind turbines, the analysis was carried out using the MOORA method, which is one of the multi-criteria decision-making methods. According to the obtained data and the selected criteria, the most suitable places in the Southern Marmara Region were sorted.

A Maximum Power Point Tracking Control Method Based on Rotor Speed PDF Shape for Wind Turbines

Maximum power point tracking (MPPT) is the key to improve the conversion efficiency of wind energy. Concerning the current research on the MPPT control, based on the accurate tracking of rotor speed probability density function (PDF) shape for wind turbines, a novel MPPT algorithm was introduced in detail to improve the power capture and reduce mechanical damage for wind turbines. Considering the influence of wind speed distribution on the wind power generation system performance, this paper expounds a PDF shape control method of a stochastic system based on the Fokker–Planck–Kolmogorov (FPK) equation. Combining the conventional optimal torque (OT) control algorithm with the FPK equation solved by linear least-square (LLS) method, the novel MPPT control law is designed to make the PDF shape of rotor speed track the desired PDF shape as accurately as possible. The simulation verification of the novel MPPT method is carried out in the 1.5 MW wind turbine system. The results reveal that the novel MPPT method can improve the conversion efficiency of wind energy, reduce the frequent fluctuations of system variables, and significantly optimize the performance of wind power generation system.

Laboratory model of the Savonius rotor

THE PURPOSE. Increasing the efficiency and efficiency of power plants based on renewable energy sources should be carried out by improving technological, constructive, organizational, legal, technical and economic measures. Proposals are given for the development of approaches to assessing the efficiency of wind power plants based on the Savonius rotor. The design parameters are substantiated and a physical model is created for a comprehensive study and performance characteristics in laboratory conditions.METHODS. Based on the methods of physical and mathematical modeling of structures and profiles of wind turbine blades, the technical and economic indicators of various profiles of the blades of the Savonius rotor are determined.RESULTS. The theoretical substantiation of the design and various profiles of the blades of the Savonius rotor is carried out. On the basis of a comprehensive study of performance characteristics in laboratory conditions, the values of the wind energy efficiency coefficient, the rotation frequency of the wind wheel profile, and electric power were established.CONCLUSION. The results of the study can be applied to substantiate the widespread use and creation of wind power plants with a Savonius rotor to ensure high-quality and reliable power supply to remote consumers of electric energy, the creation of isolated power systems and the further development of alternative energy sources in the domestic electric power industry

Evaluation of Solar Energy using Multi-Objective Optimization on the Basis of Ratio Analysis (MOORA) Method

Solar energy has grown tremendously in recent years. The result is cost reduction and Renewable energy development and Government policies favoring the use of both are due to technological improvements as a result. This study focuses on solar energy development and the technology of deployment, economic and policy aspects. This is more typical than the cost of energy technologies. Other renewable as with energy technologies, many countries offer tax concessions and exemptions, tariffs, and preferential interest rates, renewable portfolio standards and including voluntary tattoo energy schemes From financial and regulatory incentives Advantages of solar energy. Emerging carbon credit markets to harness solar energy is expected to provide additional benefits; However, Provided by current carbon market instruments of the Kyoto Protocol, etc. such as clean development mechanism the amount of incentives is low. Based on Method MOORA is some are commonly Used to solve material selection problems. The reference point approach Efficiency and Full Multiplicity MOORA Method are tested for perceived problems. To understand all three methods Very simple, are easy to implement and are give almost perfect rankings for material alternatives. The dimensionless ratios of the MOORA method avoid these objective normalization difficulties with all different units. In the first part of MOORA, These ratios are aggregated; second, they are a reference point used as distances. Results of the two parts control each other. It is a test of strength. In addition, MOORA multi-objective optimization shows strong dominance over all other methods. The Department of Facilities in Lithuania, Both parts of MOORA resulted in comparable rankings. The alternatives are Total Renewable power, Hydropower, Biopower, Geothermal, Solar PV, Concentrating solar thermal, and Wind power capacity. The evaluation Parameter is the years 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021. The end result of solar energy is hydropower first grade and wind energy efficiency seventh grade.

Wind farm layout optimization based on 3D wake model and surrogate model

ABSTRACT Wind farm layout optimization that considers the wake effect is crucial to improve the power generation and wind energy efficiency of a wind farm. In this study, a state-of-the-art three-dimensional (3D) wake model is used to optimize the layout of wind turbines (WTs) in a wind farm. A surrogate model based on a back propagation neural network(BPNN) is developed to simplify the complex process of calculating the wake deficits. Furthermore, discrete particle swarm algorithm is used for optimizing the wind farm layout while considering different hub heights. The results show that the surrogate model significantly reduces the computation time. The optimization of the layout of WTs with different hub heights in a wind farm substantially reduces the wake effect.

Data Processing and Analysis of Eight-Beam Wind Profile Coherent Wind Measurement Lidar

Real-time measurement of atmospheric wind field parameters plays an important role in weather analysis and forecasting, including improving the efficiency of wind energy, particle tracking, boundary layer measurements, and airport security. In this study, a wind profile coherent wind Light Detection and Ranging (Lidar) measurement with a wavelength of 1.55 µm was developed and demonstrated based on the principle of eight-beam velocimetry. The wind speed information was retrieved, and vertical and horizontal profiles were calculated via power spectrum estimation of sampled echo signals through the measurement of the atmospheric wind field in Hefei for several consecutive days. The experimental results show that the wind profiles produced using different techniques are quite consistent and the standard error is less than 0.42 m/s compared with three-beam and five-beam wind measurements.