AERODYNAMIC EFFECT OF SERRATIONS ON AIRFOILS

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 introduction
• The need to reduce the aerodynamic noise generated by gas turbine
engines, rotors, and propellers has been well established
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• As successive generations of utility scale wind turbines develop
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larger size rotors, there is a growing challenge to manage the greater
noise generated from their larger designs this is an issue of much
interest in research

• Initial acoustic tests, showed that serrations reduce airfoil noise

generation under certain conditions, but the flow mechanisms
involved with the noise reduction have not been completely
understood

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• Small scale wind turbines has
the potential to create sharp and
distinct tonal noise which can
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annoyance to receptors than the
results broadband noise of larger scale
wind turbines

• Pressure fluctuations at the airfoil trailing edge, driven by the turbulence in the
boundary layer, becomes the most dominant source of airfoil self-noise at low
Mach numbers
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 • As a solution to mitigate this source of noise, serrated trailing edges have been
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proposed as a means to reduce the efficiency by which this scattering occurs

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 • Depending on the wind turbine blade chord length/rotor diameter, blade
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geometry and the aerodynamic design, all of the mechanisms below can be
found on wind turbines
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3D Mesh and domain for unserrated airfoil 2D Mesh and domain

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Generated airfoil with serration Dimensions of serrations

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 Airfoil SD7037
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Simulation setting 3D,steady,incompressible

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Inlet velocity (m/s) 24 for 0 degree of angle of attack

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Mach number 0.073

Angle of attacks 0, 5, 10, 15

Number of cells 650750

Turbulent model k-𝜀

Coupling algorithm SIMPLE

Convergence criteria 10−5

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Drag Coefficient Lift Coefficient
0.14 1.2

0.12 1
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0.1 0.8
0.6
0.08
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CD 0.4
0.06

CL
0.2
0.04
0
0.02 -30 -20 -10 -0.2 0 10 20 30

0 -0.4
-30 -20 -10 0 10 20 30
-0.6
AOA AOA

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 introduction Cl Coefficient
1.2
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0.8
0.6

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CL
0.2
0
-30 -20 -10 -0.2 0 10 20 30

-0.4
-0.6
AOA

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