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A numerical study of bio-inspired wingtip modifications of modern wind turbines

Author

Listed:
  • RahnamayBahambary, Khashayar
  • Kavian-Nezhad, Mohammad Reza
  • Komrakova, Alexandra
  • Fleck, Brian A.

Abstract

In this study, we propose an efficient turbine retrofit based on the use of bio-inspired winglets to increase the power production of a wind turbine. To assess the capability of the modified wingtips, we perform the steady-state Reynolds Averaged Navier–Stokes simulations of a DTU 10 MW wind turbine using ANSYS Fluent. The addition of this novel retrofit, inspired by the world’s heaviest soaring bird, the Andean condor, aims to increase the power output of a wind turbine while requiring only a modest capital investment. The results indicate that the addition of this retrofit leads to an increase of 9.69% in power production (average of four cases of 8, 9, 10, and 11 m/s). In addition to examining power production, the study also investigates the load distribution on the blade and the flow structures at the blade tip. The results illustrate that the winglets significantly affect the wingtip’s vortical structures, leading to an overall increase of 8.5 % in the axial loading along the span. We also show that the presence of the winglet affects the velocity recovery at the wake, leading to a more compact velocity recovery in the wake.

Suggested Citation

  • RahnamayBahambary, Khashayar & Kavian-Nezhad, Mohammad Reza & Komrakova, Alexandra & Fleck, Brian A., 2024. "A numerical study of bio-inspired wingtip modifications of modern wind turbines," Energy, Elsevier, vol. 292(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:energy:v:292:y:2024:i:c:s0360544224003335
    DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2024.130561
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