ABIBA Project

Aerodynamic Blade Improvements and Boosting by Add-ons

To maximise the energy output of a wind turbine, it important to optimize the layout of flow control devices for one or several relevant operation points. However, wind turbines operate in a highly unsteady environment with rapid changes in the inflow field due to wind shear, tower shadow, wake effects yaw and tilt misalignment as well as atmospheric turbulence. Thus, it is important to assess how these flow control devices influence the performance at off-design conditions with respect to fatigue and extreme loads, as well as aeroelastic stability. This holds true especially given the trend towards very large wind turbines for Offshore locations.

Currently, the focus of this project lies on the design of a slat element for a thick wind turbine airfoil with respect to steady-state and dynamic performance of the blade, as well as aeroelastic stability. The methodology will then be applied to a downwind wind turbine.