Rotating Microtab Implementation on a DU91W250 Airfoil Based on the Cell-Set Model

Alejandro Ballesteros-Coll, Koldo Portal-Porras, Unai Fernandez-Gamiz, Ekaitz Zulueta and Jose Manuel Lopez-Guede
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Alejandro Ballesteros-Coll: Department of Nuclear and Fluid Mechanics, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Nieves Cano 12, 01006 Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
Koldo Portal-Porras: Department of Nuclear and Fluid Mechanics, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Nieves Cano 12, 01006 Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
Unai Fernandez-Gamiz: Department of Nuclear and Fluid Mechanics, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Nieves Cano 12, 01006 Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
Ekaitz Zulueta: Automatic Control and System Engineering Department, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Nieves Cano 12, 01006 Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain
Jose Manuel Lopez-Guede: Automatic Control and System Engineering Department, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Nieves Cano 12, 01006 Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain

Sustainability, 2021, vol. 13, issue 16, 1-14

Abstract: Flow control device modeling is an engaging research field for wind turbine optimization, since in recent years wind turbines have grown in proportions and weight. The purpose of the present work was to study the performance and effects generated by a rotating microtab (MT) implemented on the trailing edge of a DU91W250 airfoil through the novel cell-set (CS) model for the first time via CFD techniques. The CS method is based on the reutilization of an already calculated mesh for the addition of new geometries on it. To accomplish that objective, the required region is split from the main domain, and new boundaries are assigned to the mentioned construction. Three different MT lengths were considered: h = 1%, 1.5% and 2% of the airfoil chord length, as well as seven MT orientations ( β ): from 0° to −90° regarding the horizontal axis, for five angles of attack: 0°, 2°, 4°, 6° and 9°. The numerical results showed that the increases of the β rotating angle and the MT length ( h ) led to higher aerodynamic performance of the airfoil, C L /C D = 164.10 being the maximum ratio obtained. All the performance curves showed an asymptotic trend as the β angle reduced. Qualitatively, the model behaved as expected, proving the relationship between velocity and pressure. Taking into consideration resulting data, the cell-set method is appropriate for computational testing of trailing edge rotating microtab geometry.

Keywords: flow control; microtab; cell-set; wind turbine; optimization; computational fluid dynamics; RANS (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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