Improving Wind Turbine Power with Boundary Layer Suction

Document Type : Regular Article

Authors

1 Imam Hossein Comprehensive University, Tehran, Iran

2 Department of Energy Engineering, Azad Islamic University, Tehran, Iran

3 Niroo Research Institute, Tehran, Iran

10.47176/jafm.18.2.2844

Abstract

Given the vast global capacity of wind turbines, even minor enhancements in their overall performance can substantially increase energy production. To achieve this, several techniques have been developed and implemented commercially to create advanced blades with improved efficiency. However, the fixed aerodynamic shape of these blades imposes certain constraints. This study conducts a numerical analysis of a 660 kW wind turbine, revealing that under specific operating conditions, the blades experience off-design conditions, leading to performance degradation. Simulations indicate that because the blades are designed for a single operating point, flow separation occurs on some sections of the blade surface in other situations. Further investigation demonstrates that the fixed geometry of the blades hinders the flow’s ability to adapt to their shape. To address this challenge, the method of boundary layer suction is proposed. Results indicate that by applying an appropriate level of suction intensity, the aerodynamic performance of the rotor can be enhanced by up to 8% under the specified working conditions by facilitating flow reattachment at the inboard section. 

Keywords

Main Subjects

References

Alfrefai, M., & Acharya, M. (1996). Controlled leading-edge suction for management of unsteady separation pitching airfoils. AIAA 1995-2188. Fluid Dynamics Conference. https://doi.org/10.2514/6.1995-2188.
Arnold B., Lutz T., Kramer E. (2018). Design of a boundary layer suction system for turbulent trailing edge noise reduction of wind turbines. Journal of Renewable Energies, (123), 249-262. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2018.02.050
Basualdo, S. (2005). Load alleviation on wind turbine blades using variable geometry. Wind Engineering, 29 (2), 169-182. https://doi.org/10.1260/0309524054797122
Barlas, T. K., & Van Kuik, G. A. M. (2007, July). State of the art and prospectives of smart rotor control for wind turbines. Journal of Physics: Conference Series. IOP Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/75/1/012080
Griffin, D. (1996). Investigation of vortex generators for augmentation of wind turbine power performance. NREL, USA.
Guoqiang, L., & Shihe, Y. (2020). Large eddy simulation of dynamic stall flow control for wind turbine airfoil using plasma actuator. Energy, (212), 15084. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2020.118753
Huang, S., Qiu, H., & Wang, Y. (2023). Numerical study of aerodynamic performance of airfoil with variable curvature split flap. Journal of Applied Fluid Mechanics, 16(6), 1108-1118. https://doi.org/10.47176/jafm.16.06.1531
Jacob, J., & Santhanakrishnan, A. (2005). Effect of regular surface perturbations on flow over an airfoil. 35th AIAA Fluid Dynamics Conference and Exhibit. https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2005-5145
Jukes, T. N. (2015). Smart control of a horizontal axis wind turbine using dielectric barrier discharge plasma actuators. Renewable Energy, (80), 644-654. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2015.02.047
Karim, M. A., & Acharya, M. (1994). Suppression of dynamic stall vortices over pitching airfoils by leading-edge suction. AIAA Journal, 32, 1647-1655. https://doi.org/10.2514/3.12155
Ma, C. Y., & Xu, H. Y. (2023). Parameter-based design and analysis of wind turbine airfoils with conformal slot co-flow jet. Journal of Applied Fluid Mechanics, 16(2), 269-283. https://doi.org/10.47176/jafm.16.02.1318
Maali Amiri, M. M., Shadman, M., & Estefen, S. F. (2020). URANS simulations of a horizontal axis wind turbine under stall condition using Reynolds stress turbulence models. Energy, 213, 118766. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2020.118766
Mahboub, A., Bouzit, M., & Ghenaim, A. (2022). Effect of different shaped cavities and bumps on flow structure and wing performance. Journal of Applied Fluid Mechanics, 15(6), 1649-1660. https://doi.org/10.47176/jafm.15.06.1108
Mayda, E. A., & van Dam, C. P. (2005). Computational investigation of finite width microtabs for aerodynamic load control. 35th AIAA Fluid Dynamics Conference and Exhibit. https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2005-1185
Mereu, R., Passoni, S., & Inzoli, F. (2019). Scale-resolving CFD modeling of a thick wind turbine airfoil with application of vortex generators: Validation and sensitivity analyses. Energy, (187), 115969. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2019.115969
Moussavi, S. A. & Ghaznavi, A. (2021). Effect of boundary layer suction on performance of a 2 MW wind turbine, Journal of Energy (232), 121072. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2021.121072
Ozkan, M., & Erkan, O. (2022). Control of a boundary layer over a wind turbine blade using distributed passive roughness. Journal of Renewable Energy (184), 421-429. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2021.11.082
Pechlivanoglou, G. (2013). Passive and active flow control solutions for wind turbine blades [PhD dissertation], TU berlin, Germany. https://doi.org/10.14279/depositonce-3487
Pechlivanoglou, G., Wagner, J., Nayeri, C., & Paschereit, C. (2010, January). Active aerodynamic control of wind turbine blades with high deflection flexible flaps. 48th AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting Including the New Horizons Forum and Aerospace Exposition. https://doi.org/10.2514/6.2010-644
Rezaeiha, A., Montazeri, H., & Blocken, B. (2019). On the accuracy of turbulence models for CFD simulations of vertical axis wind turbines. Energy, 180, 83857. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2019.05.053
Sedighi, H., Akbarzadeh, P., & Salavatipour, A. (2020). Aerodynamic performance enhancement of horizontal axis wind turbines by dimples on blades: Numerical investigation. Energy, (195), 17056. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2020.117056
Shi, X., Xu, S., & Huang, D. (2019). Passive flow control of a stalled airfoil using an oscillating micro-cylinder. Computers & Fluids, (178), 152-165. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compfluid.2018.08.012
Spera, D. (2009). Wind Turbine Technology. ASME.
Supreeth, R., Arokkiaswamy, A., Anirudh, K., Pradyumna, R. K., Pramod, P. K., and Sanarahamat, A. K. (2020). Experimental and numerical investigation of the influence of leading edge tubercles on S823 airfoil behavior. Journal of Applied Fluid Mechanics, 13(6), 1885-1899. https://doi.org/10.47176/jafm.13.06.31244
Van Wingerden, J. W., Hulskamp, A. W., Barlas, T., Marrant, B., Van Kuik, G. A. M., Molenaar, D. P., & Verhaegen, M. (2008). On the proof of concept of a ‘smart’wind turbine rotor blade for load alleviation. Wind Energy: An International Journal for Progress and Applications in Wind Power Conversion Technology, 11(3), 265-280. https://doi.org/10.1002/we.264
Wang, S. C. (1995). Control of dynamic stall [PhD Dissertation, Florida State University], Mechanical Engineering Department, USA.
Yousefi, K., Saleh, S. R., & Zahedi, P. (2013). Numerical investigation of suction and length of suction jet on aerodynamic characteristics of the NACA 0012 airfoil. International Journal of Materials, Mechanics and Manufacturing, 1 (2), 136-142. https://doi.org/10.7763/IJMMM.2013.V1.30
Zhu, C., Chen, J., Wu, J., & Wang, T. (2019). Dynamic stall control of the wind turbine airfoil via single-row and double-row passive vortex generators. Energy, (189), 11627. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.energy.2019.116272
Journal of Applied Fluid Mechanics
Volume 18, Issue 2 - Serial Number 94
February 2025
Pages 363-373

Files

History

  • Received: 11 May 2024
  • Revised: 01 September 2024
  • Accepted: 05 September 2024
  • Available online: 04 December 2024

Share

How to cite

Statistics