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Title: Instrumentation development and testing of a wind turbine blade for sub-scale wake studies

Journal Article · · Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0042011 · OSTI ID:1978936
ORCiD logo [1]; ORCiD logo [2];  [3];  [3]
  1. University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY (United States); Univ. of Wyoming, Laramie, WY (United States)
  2. University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY (United States)
  3. Western University, London (Canada)
+ Show Author Affiliations

Wind turbine blade aerodynamics and the resulting wake flow are complex, and wind tunnel testing of these flows can provide critical insight. The data from such tests are also valuable for validation of numerical models. For experiments using sub-scale turbines to be useful, the blade aerodynamics and wakes must exhibit the important features observed in utility-scale turbine flows. In this work, ~1 m blades designed to produce physics relevant to larger scale turbines were manufactured and affixed to an existing turbine. One of the blades was instrumented for blade surface pressure measurements. Time-dependent surface pressure measurements coupled with instantaneous measurements of the inflow with Cobra probes and the wake with particle image velocimetry allowed for characterization of the inflow, blade flow, and near wake. The results demonstrate that the instrumentation was effective in characterizing the blade loading and the flow field. For the one test case discussed in this paper, the measurements of inflow, blade loading, and wake properties facilitate understanding of the wake's behavior.

Research Organization:
University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE; USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
Grant/Contract Number:
SC0012671
OSTI ID:
1978936
Journal Information:
Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy, Journal Name: Journal of Renewable and Sustainable Energy Journal Issue: 1 Vol. 14; ISSN 1941-7012
Publisher:
American Institute of Physics (AIP)Copyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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Grand Challenges in the Design, Manufacture, and Operation of Future Wind Turbine Systems journal January 2022

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71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
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