University of Twente Student Theses
Aerodynamic investigations of flatback airfoils and novel add-ons for modern wind turbine blades
Solombrino, Caterina (2023) Aerodynamic investigations of flatback airfoils and novel add-ons for modern wind turbine blades.
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| Abstract: | Modern wind turbines use longer blades to improve annual energy production. Longer blades require thicker airfoils for structural integrity. Thicker airfoils are susceptible to issues like erosion, abrupt stalls, and early boundary layer transition, leading to increased drag and decreased lift, thus affecting overall performance. Flatback airfoils offer structural and aerodynamic advantages, being stiffer, less sensitive to surface roughness and having a higher lift coefficient . Stiffer sections require less support, reducing weight and cost of the turbine blade. However, this comes with a drag penalty, mainly due to the increase in base drag. The low pressure near the wake causes vortex shedding, typical of bluff-body wake. The vibrations induced by the vortex shedding can not only increase the noise but also reduce the lifespan of the wind turbine. Swallow tail add-on has been proposed to overcome these challenges by reducing the unsteadiness of the wake while maintaining the advantages of flatback airfoils. The objective of this research is to investigate the aerodynamics of flat back airfoils and add-ons such as swallow tail in a computationally efficient manner. |
| Item Type: | Essay (Master) |
| Faculty: | ET: Engineering Technology |
| Subject: | 52 mechanical engineering |
| Programme: | Mechanical Engineering MSc (60439) |
| Link to this item: | https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/97815 |
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