Abstract
The paper presents both a numerical and an experimental approach to study the air flow characteristics of a novel small wind turbine and to predict its performance. The turbine model was generated based on impulse turbine principles in order to be employed in an omni-flow wind energy system in urban areas. The results have shown that the maximum flow velocity behind the stator can be increased by 20% because of a nozzle cascade from the stator geometry. It was also observed that a wind turbine with a 0.3 m rotor diameter achieved the maximum power coefficient of 0.17 at the tip speed ratio of 0.6 under the wind velocity of 8.2 m/s. It was also found that the power coefficient was linked to the hub-to-tip ratio and reached its maximum value when the hub-to-tip ratio was 0.45. It is evident that this new wind turbine has the potential for low working noise and good starting feature compared with a conventional horizontal axis wind turbine.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 37-43 |
Journal | Renewable Energy |
Volume | 75 |
Early online date | 8 Oct 2014 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 31 Mar 2015 |
Keywords
- Wind energy
- CFD
- Wind tunnel test
- Impulse wind turbine