aerodynamics of wind turbines - intech.pdfVIP

1 Aerodynamics of Wind Turbines Emrah Kulunk New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology USA 1. Introduction A wind turbine is a device that extracts kinetic energy from the wind and converts it into mechanical energy. Therefore wind turbine power production depends on the interaction between the rotor and the wind. So the major aspects of wind turbine performance like power output and loads are determined by the aerodynamic forces generated by the wind. These can only be understood with a deep comprehension of the aerodynamics of steady state operation. Accordingly, this chapter focuses primarily on steady state aerodynamics. 2. Aerodynamics of HAWTs The majority of the chapter details the classical analytical approach for the analysis of horizontal axis wind turbines and the performance prediction of these machines. The analysis of the aerodynamic behaviour of wind turbines can be started without any specific turbine design just by considering the energy extraction process. A simple model, known as actuator disc model, can be used to calculate the power output of an ideal turbine rotor and the wind thrust on the rotor. Additionally more advanced methods including momentum theory, blade element theory and finally blade element momentum (BEM) theory are introduced. BEM theory is used to determine the optimum blade shape and also to predict the performance parameters of the rotor for ideal, steady operating conditions. Bla