Research on aerodynamic characteristics of wind turbine airfoil and blade in sand‐wind environment

Abstract

In Northwest China, wind resources are especially abundant, but this area is also seriously affected by sandy environments, so any wind turbines in this area are definitely affected by the sand-wind flow. Therefore, the shear stress transport k-ω turbulence model and discrete phase model are both used for the simulation of an S809 airfoil to study the influence of sandy environments on the aerodynamic performance. Based on this, the modified blade element momentum theory will be used to design wind turbines that can operate in both clean air and sandy environments and study the influence of sandy environments on wind turbine performance. The results show that the influence of the sand-wind environment on the aerodynamic performance of the airfoil is as follows. In the particle diameter range of 5 to 30 μm, as the particle diameter increases, the lift coefficient decreases, and the drag coefficient increases. However, in the particle diameter range of 30 to 100 μm, the change is just the opposite. At the same time, as the increase of particle mass concentration, the lift coefficient of the airfoil decreases, and the drag coefficient significantly increases. Also with the increase of equivalent density, the change is just the opposite. Moreover, the influence of sandy environments on the performance of wind turbines is found to be as follows. At low wind speeds, the power output of the sandy turbine is greater than that of the clean turbine when they run in a sandy environment. Also, it is found that whether wind turbines run at high or low wind speeds, the thrust of sandy turbine is less than that of clean turbine when they run in sandy environments.

Effect of Different Types of Erosion on the Aerodynamic Performance of Wind Turbine Airfoils

“…The variation of airfoil performance under different leading-edge erosion depths and thicknesses is of great significance for the safety and maintenance of turbine blades. According to the depth of the leading-edge erosion morphological features, the erosion is divided into sand holes (0.51 mm), small pits (2.54 mm), and delamination (3.81 mm) [10]. In wind turbine blades (Vestas V47) that have been working in the desert for 12 years without maintenance [4], the severity of the erosion of the leading edge increases towards the blade tip.…”

“…They found that the maximum lift coefficient decreased by 35-61%, and the drag coefficient increased sharply by 131%-217%. Li et al [10] established a geometric model of leading-edge erosion by modifying the leading edge of the wind airfoil type. Their results indicated that leading edge erosion aggravates flow separation near the trailing edge.…”

Helicopter airfoil aerodynamic characteristics and rotor trim in sandy environments

“…Salem (Salem et al , 2013) developed a CFD model coupled with a sand particle deposition model to predict the airfoil profile for sand deposition and calculate the aerodynamic characteristics of the sand deposition airfoil profile. Wang (Wang et al , 2023) and Li (Li et al , 2021) conducted a study of the dynamic stall of the S809 airfoil in a sandy environment. Hasan (Hasan et al , 2022b; Hasan and P, 2022a) studied the influence of supercritical airfoil on helicopter characteristics and found that supercritical airfoil can increase efficiency and produce good aerodynamic characteristics.…”

Wake characteristics of wind-sand cylindrical flow under different turbulence intensity

“…In a related study, Rezig et al [2] scrutinized the performance of blade surface materials following deterioration in a wind-sand environment. Meanwhile, Li et al [3] conceptualized and designed a wind turbine engineered to operate efficiently in both clean and sandy environments, incorporating advancements rooted in blade velocity momentum theory.…”