Optimized linearization of chord and twist angle profiles for fixed-pitch fixed-speed wind turbine blades

The chord and twist angle radial profiles of a fixed-pitch fixed-speed (FPFS) horizontal-axis wind turbine blade are based on a particular design wind speed and design tip speed ratio. Because the tip speed ratio varies with wind speed, the originally optimized chord and twist angle radial profiles for a preliminary blade design through optimum rotor theory do not necessarily provide the highest annual energy production (AEP) for the wind turbine on a specific site with known wind resources. This paper aims to demonstrate a novel optimal blade design method for an FPFS wind turbine through adopting linear radial profiles of the blade chord and twist angle and optimizing the slope of these two lines. The radial profiles of the blade chord and twist angle are linearized on a heuristic basis with fixed values at the blade tip and floating values at the blade root based on the preliminary blade design, and the best solution is determined using the highest AEP for a particular wind speed Weibull distribution as the optimization criteria with constraints of the top limit power output of the wind turbine. The outcomes demonstrate clearly that the proposed blade design optimization method offers a good opportunity for FPFS wind turbine blade design to achieve a better power performance and low manufacturing cost. This approach can be used for any practice of FPFS wind turbine blade design and refurbishment.     

基于FAST和Simulink的海上风力机叶片扭角和弦长优化设计研究

基于粒子群算法编写风力机叶片优化程序,利用Matlab/Simulink接口嵌入到FAST主程序之中实现叶片优化程序与FAST之间的交互,以实现风力机最大发电功率为优化目标,完成风力机叶片气动外形的自动寻优。该方法可考虑实际海况及风力机搭载平台对叶片优化结果的影响,可同时考虑风向分布对优化结果的影响。NREL 5 MW风力机低风速下的优化结果表明,经过优化后的风力机功率提高1.5%。当考虑实际风力机布置海域风向分布情况时,加权优化结果表明风力机最大功率可提高3.8%。     

叶片转角对小型Savonius风机气动性能的影响

Savonius风机是一种典型的垂直轴风力发电机,通过对其进行流固耦合分析,研究叶片转角对风机气动性能的影响。利用ANSYS的CFX流体模块,流体湍流模型选择基于RANS的标准k-ε湍流模型,对风轮进行流固耦合分析,从而获得叶片产生的力矩情况,并计算了风机的功率特性。利用求解结果,得到了力矩系数与叶片转角之间的关系。分析了风机叶片在旋转一周中所产生的最大扭矩以及负扭矩所处的位置和范围。通过分析转角对风机性能的影响,可为今后的Savonius风机叶片形状优化和效率提升提供参考。     

变桨距风力机叶片的气动优化设计

首先利用Wilson方法进行叶片的外形初步设计,然后以设计攻角作为变量,以额定风速下功率系数最大为优化目标,建立了1 MW变桨距风力机叶片气动外形优化模型,采用遗传算法进行了优化再设计。通过对3叶片1 MW风力机进行的气动性能评价结果表明,优化后的风力机具有更好的气动性能,说明采用该优化方法进行变桨距风力机设计具有明显的优越性。     

An experimental investigation of a class of resistance-type,direction-independent wind turbines

The resistance-type, direction-independent wind turbine is suitable for the generation of power on a small scale in developing countries. So far, all work on this class of wind turbine seems to be restricted to the Savonius rotor. The present paper reports the findings of an experimental investigation of an entire class of wind turbines which includes the conventional Savonius rotor. The influence of four rotor-geometry parameters (i.e. number of blades, blade angle, blade location and angle of setting of the blade) is studied and discussed on the basis of two performance criteria (i.e. turbine efficiency and performance on the basis of blade area). The existence of optimum, design parameters is established and the possibility of improving substantially on the performance of the Savonius rotor is demonstrated. Some possible applications of the present class of turbines are briefly commented on.     

基于遗传算法的风力机叶片优化设计

提出了多次迭代优化设定诱导因子初始值的方法,并以功率输出和年发电量最大为优化目标,在遗传算法的基础上对1.5MW风力机叶片进行了优化设计.为了改善风力机在低风速区域内的输出功率特性,对风轮转速进行了优化.结果表明:优化后,风力机叶片的弦长值得到大幅度的降低,达到额定风速后的功率输出情况也满足了定桨距风力机的功率控制要求,说明该优化方法可以加速搜索寻优过程并保证获得全局最优解;转速优化后,当风力机采用二级转速运行时,年最大输出功率比采用单一额定转速运行时可提高1.16%.     

预弯对10MW级风力机叶片气动特性的影响

为分析预弯处理对10 MW级风力机叶片气动特性的影响,以DTU 10 MW风力机为例,采用CFD数值模拟方法,研究均匀来流不同风速下风力机的输出功率,并与BEM计算结果进行对比。同时,对比分析直叶片和预弯叶片风力机的功率特性、沿展向出力分布、沿展向不同截面翼型的流动特性。研究结果表明,直叶片各截面翼型的压力差较预弯叶片的大,做功能力较强。预弯通过对叶片的三维流动产生扰动,进而影响风力机的输出功率,且主要体现在叶片展向70%～90%的位置。研究成果可为风力机叶片气动性能的设计与优化提供参考。     

遗传算法在水平轴洋流机叶片优化设计中的应用

水平轴洋流机是捕获洋流能的主要设备,其叶片外形直接影响捕能效率。通过Bezier参数化曲线描述定速定桨距洋流机的叶片弦长和扭角分布规律,采用叶素-动量理论计算其水动特性。以额定流速下能量利用系数系数最大为目标,基于遗传算法建立了叶片外形优化模型。同时,为了避免因汽蚀导致功率输出不稳定的现象,在优化过程中以汽蚀作为约束条件,与经典设计方法Wilson理论设计叶片进行了比较。结果表明:优化叶片在叶根处的扭角更小,具有更佳的抗扭性能;叶根和叶尖处弦长均更小,节省了材料;在设计流速范围内,优化叶片在低流速下效率更高,平均提高了4.6%,具有更好的启动性能。     

小型Savonius风机的创新设计与仿真分析

Savonius风机是一种典型的垂直轴风力机。针对传统风机的发电机部分采用转子、定子一动一静的设计布局,提出了一种新型的发电机结构,从而提高风机发电效率。通过有限元分析软件ANSYS／CFX,对风力机模型进行流体分析,计算Savonius风力机的效率,验证本设计分析方法的正确性。     

Performance assessment of a small wind turbine with crossflow runner by numerical simulations

Most of the classical wind turbines are not able to start at wind speeds as low as 2–3 m/s. Other turbines, like Savonius, have a low maximum efficiency, which renders them useless in poor wind conditions. Therefore, new turbine designs are required to harvest wind power even when the wind speed is low. A wind turbine having a crossflow runner, similar to the Banki water turbine, is studied numerically in this work in order to estimate its performance. The results obtained suggest that this turbine has a considerable high starting torque and its maximum power coefficient is comparable to those of horizontal axis wind turbines. Based on the results obtained, some improvements of the design are proposed in order to further increase turbine performance.     

浅析水平轴风力机叶片设计叶尖速比的选择

设计叶尖速比是风力机叶片设计中需要考虑的重要因素,文中分析了叶尖速比对叶片的弦长、载荷、气动性能、整机的功率和发电量等的影响,讨论了设计叶尖速比的选择。并分析得出增大设计叶尖速比,能够减小叶片弦长、载荷、成本,提高气动性能,但会使机组发电量有所下降的结论。     

Investigation of 3D printed Savonius rotor performance

In this study increasing the performance of Conventional Savonius wind rotor has been investigated by a 3D (three dimensional) printer which is one of the rapid prototyping techniques. For this purpose, some design changes have been introduced to increase the performance of conventional Savonius wind rotor. Here, 3D digital designing of Savonius wind rotors have been easily manufactured tangible as a physical model by a 3D printer. Experimental data concerning produced Savonius wind rotors have been acquired by using a wind tunnel. Some numerical data have been obtained from the CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) analysis carried out under the same conditions. The effects of the additional blade end design have been examined to obtain more torque increase on improved classical Savonius wind rotor. Furthermore, by means of introducing straight blade, the effects of the flow compression inside the blade have been reduced and rotor performance increased. Based on such optimizations, optimum additional design parameters have been designated as that (1/r) ratio is 0.3, (s/r) is 1, and (α) additional straight blade angle is 135°. It has been determined that power coefficient is increased at a ratio of around 20% together with all these design changes.     

高效低载的三维风力机叶片外形优化设计方法

常规风力机叶片的优化设计都是从二维翼型开始的,且翼型总是以升阻比最大为优化目标。然而,二维翼型的升阻比最大和三维叶片的高风能利用率与低气动载荷有本质的不同,采用以往的叶片优化方法常常会在提高风能利用率的同时,使叶片所受的气动载荷也提高。针对这一问题,提出基于多岛遗传算法和动量叶素理论,在给定风况条件下,以加权风能利用率最高与气动载荷最小为目标函数,以叶片各个截面的翼型型线及扭角作为设计变量,对三维叶片开展多目标优化方法设计研究。并对某实际NREL Phase VI叶片进行优化设计,结果表明：在给定风况下相比原叶片,优化叶片在风能利用率提升了3.06%的基础上,叶根弯矩降低了11.68%。在变转速与变风况下,优化叶片的气动效率整体提升,叶根弯矩明显降低。     

重叠比对三叶片Savonius风力机启动性能影响研究

为获得相对平稳且非负的启动力矩,针对三叶片Savonius风力机开展研究。首先对比研究两叶片和三叶片Savonius风力机的启动性能和输出功率特性。在此基础上,针对其主要的结构参数重叠比开展研究。针对三叶片的结构特点,提出重叠比和净重叠比的定义方式,设置9组不同净重叠比,范围在0～0.36（重叠比范围0.14～0.50）之间。利用数值模拟和风洞试验相结合的方法,研究在不同风速下重叠比对Savonius风力机启动力矩以及输出功率性能的影响。结果表明：净重叠比可消除反向启动力矩,并提升三叶片Savonius风力机的启动性能,平均启动力矩系数最高提升147.06%。净重叠比在0.06～0.11范围内时,对风力机的输出功率有提高作用。     

Wells turbine blade profile optimization for better wave energy capture

Despite the fact that wave energy is available at no cost, it is always desired to harvest the maximum possible amount of this energy. The axial flow air turbines are commonly used with oscillating water column devices as a power take‐off system. The present work introduces a blade profile optimization technique that improves the air turbine performance while considering the complex 3D flow phenomena. This technique produces non‐standard blade profiles from the coordinates of the standard ones. It implements a multi‐objective optimization algorithm in order to define the optimum blade profile. The proposed optimization technique was successfully applied to a biplane Wells turbine in the present work. It produced an optimum blade profile that improves the turbine torque by up to 9.3%, reduces the turbine damping coefficient by 10%, and increases the turbine operating range by 5%. The optimized profile increases the annual average turbine power by up to 3.6% under typical sea conditions. Moreover, new blade profiles were produced from the wind turbine airfoil data and investigated for use with the biplane Wells turbine. The present work showed that two of these profiles could be used with low wave energy seas. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

加装后缘小翼的垂直轴风力机输出特性研究

为了研究H型垂直轴风力机后缘加装小翼的输出特性变化规律,文章以NACA0012翼型叶片为例,采用风洞试验与数值模拟的方法,对加装后缘小翼的风力机进行了研究。模拟结果表明,加装后缘小翼的风力机的单叶片扭矩系数及功率性能要优于未加装小翼的风力机,整体功率较未加装小翼的风力机略有提升。风洞实验结果表明:加装后缘小翼可以提高风力机的最大输出功率,其中径长比对于加装小翼的垂直轴风力机功率提升的影响较大;当转速小于300 r/min时,安装径长比为0.6的后缘小翼的风力机输出功率最高;当转速超过300 r/min时,径长比为0.4的后缘小翼的风力机输出功率最高。     

Power optimization of wind turbines with data mining and evolutionary computation

A data-driven approach for maximization of the power produced by wind turbines is presented. The power optimization objective is accomplished by computing optimal control settings of wind turbines using data mining and evolutionary strategy algorithms. Data mining algorithms identify a functional mapping between the power output and controllable and non-controllable variables of a wind turbine. An evolutionary strategy algorithm is applied to determine control settings maximizing the power output of a turbine based on the identified model. Computational studies have demonstrated meaningful opportunities to improve the turbine power output by optimizing blade pitch and yaw angle. It is shown that the pitch angle is an important variable in maximizing energy captured from the wind. Power output can be increased by optimization of the pitch angle. The concepts proposed in this paper are illustrated with industrial wind farm data.     

NREL VI rotor blade: numerical investigation and winglet design and optimization using CFD

The main objectives of this study were to aerodynamically design and optimize a winglet for a wind turbine blade by using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and to investigate its effect on the power production. For validation and as a baseline rotor, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory Phase VI wind turbine rotor blade is used. The Reynolds‐averaged Navier–Stokes equations are solved, and k–ε Launder–Sharma turbulence model was used. The numerical results have shown a considerable agreement with the experimental data. The genetic algorithm was used as the optimization technique with the help of artificial neural network to reduce the computational cost. In the winglet design, the variable parameters are the cant and twist angles of the winglet and the objective function the torque. Multipoint optimization is carried out for three different operating wind speeds, and a total of 24 CFD cases are run in the design. The final optimized winglet showed around 9% increase in the power production. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Interactive flow field around two Savonius turbines

The use of a Savonius type of vertical axis wind turbine is expanding in urban environments as a result of its ability to withstand turbulence as well as its relatively quiet operation. In the past, single turbine performance has been investigated primarily for determining the optimum blade configuration. In contrast, combining multiple Savonius turbines in the horizontal plane produces extra power in particular configurations. This results from the interaction between the two flow fields around individual turbines. To understand quantitatively the interaction mechanism, we measured the flow field around two Savonius turbines in close configurations using particle image velocimetry. The phase-averaged flow fields with respect to the rotation angle of the turbines revealed two types of power-improvement interactions. One comes from the Magnus effect that bends the main stream behind the turbine to provide additional rotation of the downstream turbine. The other is obtained from the periodic coupling of local flow between the two turbines, which is associated with vortex shedding and cyclic pressure fluctuations. Use of this knowledge will assist the design of packaged installations of multiple Savonius turbines.     

Influence of the deflector plate on the performance of modified Savonius water turbine

Savonius rotor is simple in design and easy to fabricate at a lower cost. The basic driving force of Savonius rotor is drag. The drag coefficient of a concave surface is more than the convex surface. Hence, the advancing blade with concave side facing the water flow would experience more drag force than the returning blade, thus forcing the rotor to rotate. Net driving force can be increased by reducing the reverse force on the returning blade. This can be realized by providing flow obstacle to the returning blade. The objective of the present work is to find out the optimal position of the deflector plate upstream to the flow which would result in maximum power generated by the rotor. Experimental investigations are carried out to study the influence of the location of the deflector plate on the performance of a modified Savonius rotor with water as the working medium at a Reynolds number of 1.32 × 10⁵. Eight different positions of the deflector plate are attempted in this study. Results conclude that deflector plate placed at its optimal position increases the coefficient of power by 50%. Maximum coefficient of power is found to be 0.21 at a tip speed ratio of 0.82 in the presence of deflector plate. Two stage and three stage modified Savonius rotors are tested to study the influence of deflector plate at the optimal position. Maximum coefficient of power improves by 42%, 31% and 17% with deflector plate for two stage 0° phase shift, 90° phase shift and three stage modified Savonius rotor respectively.