Experimental Study of Self-starting Characteristics for H-Type Wind Turbine

Abstract

In order to study self-starting characteristics for H-type wind turbine, firstly, the effect of low Reynolds number and large separated flow on aerodynamic characteristics of airfoil were analyzed in detail, then two H-type wind turbines with different aerodynamic configurations were tested in a low speed wind tunnel for collecting the static torques at different phase angles and time-rotating speed curves in starting process. Based on theoretical analysis and experimental data, the cause of self-stating problem of H-type wind turbine has been revealed. The aerodynamic profile parameters of the wind turbine are closely related to the dependency of starting on initial phase position, and the minimum static torque determines whether the wind turbine has potential to start from rest. The time-rotating speed curves exhibit two different starting behaviour features, determined by the minimum dynamic torque in driving force conversion stage. Unless both the minimum static torque and minimum dynamic torque in driving force conversion stage are greater than the friction torque, the self-starting of the wind turbine cannot be realized. The typical self-starting behavior characteristics is that the time-rotating speed curve includes four different stages of initial linear acceleration, plateau, rapid acceleration and stable equilibrium with the final tip speed ratio more than 1.

Keywords

• wind energy; h-type wind turbine; self-starting; aerodynamic characteristics; wind tunnel test.