Background
“This work was carried out within the framework of the WEAMEC project ASAPe “Add-on Systems for wind turbine performance improvement”, with funding from the Pays de la Loire Region”
The ASAPe project propose to develop a serie of original, robust and simple ADD-ON system, composed of E-penon sensors and/or wireless pressure sensors as well as fluidic actuators of pulsed jet type, capable of dynamically adapting wind turbine blade aerodynamic and thus to decrease aerodynamic loads. This system will be progressively brought to maturity by using a bidimensional blade profile in the aerodynamic wind tunnel of LHEEA lab. (gust at an intermediate scale) and the Jules Verne wind tunnel of CSTB (fluctuating wind at full scale). At full scale, a real wind turbine blade profile will be provided by industrials who have signed a support letter for this projet (EDF-EN and VALOREM). Also, a prospectif work will be conducted to prepare wind field test (choice of the site, the wind turbine type, the position and control strategy …).
Abstract
Wind turbines operate in the naturally turbulent atmospheric boundary layer. Due to strong flow variations, the aerodynamics at the rotor blades are complex. Therefore, to gain a better understanding of the effect of strong velocity and angle fluctuations on the aerodynamic behavior of an airfoil, we present a new system capable of generating rapid, strong gusts in a wind tunnel, the chopper. It consists of a rotating bar cutting through the inlet of the wind tunnel, thus generating turbulent, strong flow perturbations. Using this system and exposing an airfoil to its flow, we investigate the lift variations caused by the simultaneous, rapid velocity and angle variations. The results show that the lift response of the airfoil is directly correlated with the velocity. The lift response to changes of the angle of attack is determined not only by the change of the angle, but also by the rapidity with which it changes.
More detail about the ASAPe project
