Aerodynamic Analysis Of Wind Turbine Blade Using CFD

Lokman Hakim, Muhammad Zulhilmi (2021) Aerodynamic Analysis Of Wind Turbine Blade Using CFD. Project Report. Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka, Melaka, Malaysia. (Submitted)

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Abstract

Aerodynamic is a term that interprets the interaction phenomenon between air with the surface. Aerodynamic is essential because they function as a mechanism to change wind energy to electricity by using lift and drag force. In wind turbine technology, aerodynamic principles can be observed at the wind turbine blade. The wind turbine blade geometry, such as airfoil profile contributes to the highest lift and lowest drag upon air inflow. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) approach is an effective method to investigate the lift and drag force of a wind turbine blade. This approach gives the best description of the flow around the wind turbine. Erosion is a process of eroding or being eroded by wind, water, or other natural agents. Erosion can change the blade airfoil's original shape, and it indeed influences the aerodynamic characteristic of the airfoil. Hence, this study investigates lift coefficient, drag coefficient and boundary layer thickness of two airfoil profile in 2D design and concludes the impact of erosion by referring to the lift to drag ratio value. Lift to drag ratio value can be used to monitor the airfoil efficiency. In conducting the investigation, the chosen airfoil profile will be modelled and simulated using CFD software, ANSYS Fluent. Two airfoils are selected in this study which is S809 airfoil profile and S826 airfoil profile. Boundary condition be set up in the simulation process to generate result at the end of the simulation. By knowing the lift coefficient and drag coefficient, the airfoil's performance can be analysed before and after the emerging of erosion. The lift to drag ratio for both airfoils profile decreases when erosion become worse. Heavy erosion condition for S809 airfoil, CL/CD value is 3.5 while for S826 airfoil, CL/CD value is 24.1. For light erosion condition, S809 airfoil CL/CD value is at 7.4 while for S826 airfoil CL/CD value is at 39.4. This result indicates that the airfoil's aerodynamic performance receives a significant effect by the emerging of erosion

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