Study on the rotor design method for a small propeller-type wind turbine

Small propeller-type wind turbines have a low Reynolds number, limiting the number of usable airfoil materials. Thus, their design method is not sufficiently established, and their performance is often low. The ultimate goal of this research is to establish high-performance design guidelines and design methods for small propeller-type wind turbines. To that end, we designed two rotors: Rotor A, based on the rotor optimum design method from the blade element momentum theory, and Rotor B, in which the chord length of the tip is extended and the chord length distribution is linearized. We examined performance characteristics and flow fields of the two rotors through wind tunnel experiments and numerical analysis. Our results revealed that the maximum output tip speed ratio of Rotor B shifted lower than that of Rotor A, but the maximum output coefficient increased by approximately 38.7%. Rotors A and B experienced a large-scale separation on the hub side, which extended to the mean in Rotor A. This difference in separation had an impact on the significant decrease in Rotor A’s output compared to the design value and the increase in Rotor B’s output compared to Rotor A.