Monash University Vacation project Pavaman Bilgi

Wind turbine aerodynamic blade modelling.

Introduction

The modelling of wind turbine aerodynamics has always been a semi-empirical process whereby models
are modified to fit experimental observations and then extrapolated. This short document summarises
some of the results of one particular method the BEM model which has been altered to incorporate
various aerodynamic phenomenon associated with wind turbines eg. Tip losses, yawing error etc. These
results were compared against results from the same blade which had lift and drag characteristics
measured under turbulence. These differences are the objective of this document.

The model

The model used in this investigation (BEM) is an elementary one that consists of conservation of mass,
conservation of momentum and an analysis of the forces involved locally at a particular blade element
which is just a sliver of rotor blade. This analysis is performed on each blade element throughout the full
rotor radius, then integrated or summed to find the characteristics of the entire rotor. Finally, correction
procedures are carried out to take care of tip losses, yaw error, hub losses and wake swirl among other
things.

This model has been coded into a simulator in the FORTRAN 90 language my Marshall Buhl, an
employee (position unknown) of the National Renewable Energy Laboratorys (NREL) National Wind
Technology Centre (NWTC) who conducts research (field unknown). The program goes by the name of
wt_perf.exe and is freely available at the following URL:

http://wind.nrel.gov/designcodes/simulators/

Furthermore, a brief user manual is included on the same website.

Marshall also runs an open forum for discussion of his codes at:

http://wind.nrel.gov/forum/wind/viewforum.php?f=4

On the programs function, to summarise, based on various Turbine input parameters, a list of which is
given below,

- Number of blades
- Rotor radius
- Hub radius
- Yaw, tilt and precone angles
- Hub height
- Twist
- Air properties
- Pitch angle, wind speed and rotation rate range
- Lift and drag characteristics of the blade

the program simulates the performance and loads on the turbine and outputs details such as,

- Local velocity
- Loss coeff
- Local Axial and tangential induction factors
- Local Airflow and angles of attack
- Local life and drag coefficients
- Thrust, torque and power coefficients

for a given wind speed, rotation rate and pitch angle.

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Method

A particular airfoil was selected one of which there was lift and drag data for it both under turbulent
and no turbulent conditions. The NACA4421 was selected, and the two sets of data corresponded to 0%
turbulence intensity and 7% turbulence intensity. The lift/drag profiles exhibited some marked
differences illustrated below:

Cl and Cd (NACA4421)

2.5

1.5

1
Cl/Cd

0.5

0
-100 -80 -60 -40 -20 0 20 40 60 80 100
-0.5
Cl turb
-1 Cd turb
Cl
-1.5 Cd

Alpha

For a close up of a region of interest,

Cl and Cd (NACA4421)

Cl turb
Cd turb
Cl
1.6 Cd

1.4

1.2

1
Cl/Cd

0.8

0.6

0.4

0.2

0
-10 0 10 20 30
Alpha

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Both data sets were subjected to simulations involving zero yaw error, and a precone angle of 3.5 degrees.
Only the variation of the power coefficient was investigated here but other things could also have been
looked at such as torque or thrust. The power coefficient however is the piece of data of most
significance to wind turbine designers.

The power coefficient curves were generated using the simulator over a range of pitch angles and tip
speed ratios (TSR) for a single rotation rate. Pitch angle is the angle between the blade chord and the
plane of rotation, and the tip speed ratio is defined as the rotor tip velocity divided by the incident wind
velocity. It was hoped that the differences in the power coefficient profiles could be attributed to the
differences in the lift profiles of the airfoil near the stall region (delayed stall).

The curves exhibited a maxima at certain TSRs so the locus of these maxima were plotted against the
pitch angle of each curve for both turbulent and no turbulence cases. Finally, a plot of power coefficient
vs angle of attack and another vs wind speed was generated.

Results

Power coefficient plots over a TSR range and pitch angle range:

2 deg
No Turbulence 6 deg
4 deg
0.4 8 deg
-2 deg
-1 deg
0.35
0 deg
1 deg

0.3

0.25

0.2
Cp

0.15

0.1

0.05

0
-1.5 0.5 2.5 4.5 6.5 8.5 10.5 12.5

-0.05

-0.1
TSR

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No turbulence

0.5

10 deg
12 deg
0.4 14 deg
16 deg
18 deg
0.3
Cp

0.2

0.1

0
-1.5 0.5 2.5 4.5 6.5 8.5 10.5 12.5

-0.1 TSR

And for the turbulent case:

Turbulent
0.4

0.35

0.3

0.25

0.2
Cp

0.15 2 deg
1 deg

0.1 0 deg
-1 deg
-2 deg
0.05

0
-0.5 0.5 1.5 2.5 3.5 4.5 5.5 6.5 7.5 8.5 9.5

-0.05

-0.1
TSR

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Turbulent

0.4

0.35

0.3
10 deg
6 deg
0.25 4 deg
8 deg
18 deg
0.2 16 deg
14 deg
12 deg
Cp

0.15

0.1

0.05

0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

-0.05

-0.1
TSR

A locus of peak power coefficient:

Peak Cp locus

0.4

0.35

0.3

0.25
Cp

0.2

0.15

0.1
Turbulent

0.05 No turbulence

0
-10 -5 0 5 10 15 20
Pitch angle

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Cp vs Alpha

0.40

0.35

0.30

0.25
Cp

0.20

0.15

0.10
Turbulence
0.05
No Turbulence

0.00
-5.00 0.00 5.00 10.00 15.00 20.00 25.00
Alpha

This plot does not make very much sense, but it is suspected that the calculation for the angle of attack
for each pitch angle is incorrect.

Cp vs Wind speed for 6 deg pitch angle

0.50

0.40

0.30

Turbulent
Cp

0.20
No turbulence

0.10

0.00
0.00 5.00 10.00 15.00 20.00 25.00

-0.10
W ind speed

This graph was produced to compare with the plot from the famed NREL AMES nasa wind tunnel test:

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Certain features are seen to be common between the two plots, but some are also different. For example
the power behaviour at higher wind speeds.

As yet, no direct relation has been found between the delayed stall profile of the turbulent case to the
power coefficient trends as seen above. Work is yet to be done.

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