A CFD Analysis of a Micro Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine Blade Aerodynamics

Abstract

This study investigates the performance of a micro Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine (HAWT) blade using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). The 1.5 m long micro HAWT blade was designed using the Blade Element Momentum Theory (BEM). Parameters such as the chord length lift force, drag force, tip speed ratio, solidity, coefficient of performance, angle of attack, wind relative angle, Reynolds number, efficiency, axial and induction factors were determined. Based on the design parameters the micro blade was created, meshed and boundary conditions identified in a 2D pre-processor Gambit interface. The meshed blade was exported to Fluent where it was processed and analyzed based on the identified boundary condition. The blade was simulated based on Maiduguri environment which has a recorded average wind speed of 3.89 m/s and the result showed that the maximum extractable power was 142.66 watts at a wind relative velocity of 4.8m/s when the blade was at 8o angle of attack and 3 x 106 Reynolds Number. Measured power increased consistently with increased in wind speed, and with a turbine efficiency of 28% the blade satisfied the Newton’s third law and the Bernoulli’s effect. The profile had the ability to perform and serve as a means of extracting and generating energy from wind, which is a renewable, clean and locally available source of energy in Maiduguri and its environs. The use of this energy source will reduce the large dependence on non-renewable, expensive and environmentally unfriendly means of energy generation. Further studies could be carried experimentally to verify the simulation results.