Browsing by Subject "Wind turbine design."
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Item Aerodynamic design considerations for small-scale, fixed-pitch, horizontal-axis wind turbines operating in class 2 winds.(2012-08-08) Burdett, Timothy A.; Van Treuren, Kenneth W.; Engineering.; Baylor University. Dept. of Mechanical Engineering.Renewable sources of energy, such as wind, are necessary to meet the growing demand as conventional energy sources are depleted. Very little research has been accomplished to improve wind turbine performance in Class 2 winds. This work experimentally analyzed techniques to improve the aerodynamic performance of small-scale, fixed-pitch, horizontal-axis wind turbines in Class 2 winds. Experimental data for the S823 airfoil was taken for Reynolds numbers from 50,000 to 200,000. A trip strip was shown to improve airfoil performance for Reynolds numbers below 100,000. Additional wind tunnel studies validated the wind turbine testing procedure. Using blade element theory (BET) and blade element momentum theory (BEMT), wind turbine blades with optimum angle of twist were designed and tested. Results suggest the BEMT-optimized blades will perform better at the design point. The sensitivity of the design angle on power production was also examined, resulting in negligible difference for the conditions tested.Item Design and experimental testing of small-scale wind turbines.(2011-05-12T15:31:46Z) Gregg, Jason R.; Van Treuren, Kenneth W.; Engineering.; Baylor University. Dept. of Mechanical Engineering.Due to the increasing environmental and economic cost of fossil fuels, alternative sources of energy are needed. One such source is energy wind energy. Much of the current wind turbine research focuses on large-scale wind turbines. An alternative approach is small-scale wind turbines designed specifically to produce power at low wind speeds. This thesis investigates the design and testing of these turbines. Concerns specific to small-scale design, such as low Reynolds number flow, separation, and low wind speed power generation are addressed. A test apparatus was developed to validate the design procedure, and specific methods to increase power generation under these conditions, such as spanwise and axial roughness, two, three, and four-bladed systems and tip-speed ratios of 1, 3, and 7, were investigated. While many of these methods increased system efficiency, roughness was found to dramatically improve performance, reaching up to 126% increase in power output at a wind speed of 10 mph.