Profiling a Wind Wheel Blade Using Parametric Optimization and Computational Aerodynamics Methods

Abstract

Due to the constant increase in energy consumption, remoteness from industrial centers, the need to import organic fuel for economic activities and livelihoods of the population, a wider deployment of wind power plants (WPPs) in hard-to-reach areas of the Arctic is required. The key element influencing the efficiency of a WPP is the wind wheel, the design of which is associated with certain difficulties due to the extreme climatic conditions in the Arctic. The presented work describes an approach to digital design of the aerodynamic shape of a wind turbine blade based on parametric optimization technology. The target indicator is the wind energy efficiency (WEE), which is calculated by direct numerical modeling of the aerodynamics problem using modern computational methods, as well as high-performance supercomputer technologies. The introduction of digital design and modeling principles has enabled the integration of geometric models and associated engineering modeling tools into the computer environment. The main concept of the approach is to describe the geometric characteristics of the blade with a finite number of parameters, changing which one can obtain the shape of the wind wheel blade in a wide range of possible configurations. For each shape, a computational CFD model is created, which, based on the numerical solution of the Navier–Stokes viscous flow equations, makes it possible to determine target indicators in the form of aerodynamic characteristics of the blade at a given wind speed. An example of the use of parametric optimization technology for the design of a wind wheel intended for operation in the Arctic regions is considered. The functionality of the concept for determining the shape of the blade in single-mode and multimode options for using a wind wheel has been demonstrated. It is shown that the obtained geometric characteristics make it possible to improve the target performance of a typical blade used in practice. For a WPP with a power of 100 kW with a wind wheel with a diameter of 24 m, solutions were obtained that provide a WEE value of 0.45 in the range of design wind speeds from 6 to 9 m/s.