Energies (Jun 2016)
Dynamic Stall Control on the Wind Turbine Airfoil via a Co-Flow Jet
Abstract
Dynamic stall control of a S809 airfoil is numerically investigated by implementing a co-flow jet (CFJ). The numerical methods of the solver are validated by comparing results with the baseline experiment as well as a NACA 6415-based CFJ experiment, showing good agreement in both static and dynamic characteristics. The CFJ airfoil with inactive jet is simulated to study the impact that the jet channel imposes upon the dynamic characteristics. It is shown that the presence of a long jet channel could cause a negative effect of decreasing lift and increasing drag, leading to fluctuating extreme loads in terms of drag and moment. The main focus of the present research is the investigation of the dynamic characteristics of the CFJ airfoil with three different jet momentum coefficients, which are compared with the baseline, giving encouraging results. Dynamic stall can be greatly suppressed, showing a very good control performance of significantly increased lift and reduced drag and moment. Analysis of the amplitude of variation in the aerodynamic coefficients indicates that the fluctuating extreme aerodynamic loads are significantly alleviated, which is conducive to structural reliability and improved life cycle. The energy consumption analysis shows that the CFJ concept is applicable and economical in controlling dynamic stall.
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