Aerodynamic performance characteristics of low Re airfoils: A parametric and multi criteria decision study

Abstract

This research aims at investigating the aerodynamic performance of 51 low Re airfoils and applying a Multi Criteria Decision Making (MCDM) approach for selecting airfoils that align with the specific requirements of small wind turbines (SWTs). The study was carried out by varying the Re from 5 × 104 to 5 × 105; angle of attack (AOA) from −10° to 20°, thickness to chord ratio (0.1–0.9), camber ratio (0.1–0.9), and camber position (10 %–80 %) to evaluate the impact of these parameters on the airfoils’ performance. Furthermore, MCDM approach was applied to identify suitable airfoils optimized for their average lift to drag ratio, stall angle, operating range of AOA, strength, manufacturability, and material cost. The findings showed that of the teste parameters, the AOA and airfoil profile have the most pronounced effects on the airfoil performance. Among the tested airfoils, the E63 provided superior performance at 105 Re with LDR of 76.32, a 37.7 % improvement over that of NACA 4412 which is commonly used for wind turbine blade design. Furthermore, the MCDM results revealed that SG6043, FX63-137, E216 and E62 airfoils were the top-ranked airfoils suitable for SWTs application. These findings can help to produce optimized airfoil designs for increased performance and efficiency of SWTs.

Keywords

• Aerodynamic performance
• Low Reynolds number airfoils
• Small wind turbine
• Multi-criteria decision making
• XFoil
• CFD