Performance studies on a wind turbine blade section for low wind speeds with a Gurney flap

Ahmed, Mohammed R. and Nabolaniwaqa, Epeli (2019) Performance studies on a wind turbine blade section for low wind speeds with a Gurney flap. Journal of Energy Resources Technology - Transactions of ASME, 141 (11). NA. ISSN 0195-0738

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Abstract

The flow characteristics and the lift and drag behavior of a thick trailing-edged airfoil that was provided with fixed trailing edge flaps (Gurney flaps) of 1% to 5% height right at the back of the airfoil were studied both experimentally and numerically at different low Reynolds numbers (Re) and angles of attack for possible applications in wind turbines suitable for the wind speeds of 4-6 m/s. The flap considerably improves the suction on the upper surface of the airfoil resulting in a higher lift coefficient. The drag coefficient also increased; however, the increase was less compared to the increase in the lift coefficient, resulting in a higher lift-to-drag ratio in the angles of attack of interest. The results show that trailing-edge flaps can improve the performance of blades designed for low wind speeds and can directly be applied to small wind turbines that are increasingly being used in remote places or in smaller countries.

Item Type:	Journal Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Airfoils; Drag (Fluid dynamics); Pressure; Suction; Blades; Turbulence; Wind turbines; Wind velocity; Flow (Dynamics).
Subjects:	T Technology > TJ Mechanical engineering and machinery
Divisions:	Faculty of Science, Technology and Environment (FSTE) > School of Engineering and Physics
Depositing User:	M. Rafiuddin Ahmed
Date Deposited:	02 Oct 2019 23:11
Last Modified:	02 Oct 2019 23:11
URI:	https://repository.usp.ac.fj/id/eprint/11796

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