Jayakrishnan Radhakrishnan
Manipal Institute of Technology, India
Title: Design of an Airfoil for a Small Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine Utilizing Converted Energy from the Wind Shade Region
Biography
Biography: Jayakrishnan Radhakrishnan
Abstract
Wind power is one of the most prevalent forms of renewable energy, second to only solar energy. The incumbent idea of extracting kinetic energy from surface wind currents, and converting this energy into electric energy is carried out by the combination of gear drives and an electrical generator. Using a suitable power electronic converter, this electricity may then be integrated into the grid directly, or may also function to supply power to a recharging station. This transition, coupled with the augment of global warming, particularly due to the combustion of fossil fuels to provide electricity, has resulted in multiple small scale installations of wind turbines.
Conventional aerodynamic schemes cannot be applied to rotor blades operating under low Reynolds number conditions as compared to those occurring under high Reynolds number conditions since certain unusual aerodynamic phenomena predominate in the case of the former. This paper entails the design as well as experimental validation of a new class of airfoils for small horizontal axis wind turbines that are used in urban environments.
A common misconception with regard to selection of airfoils followed by subsequent design of rotor blades involves the use of NACA airfoils and other conventional high Reynolds number airfoils. The airfoil is designed in such a way so as to extract the energy from the wind shade region, which is practically unheard of in conventional wind rotor aerodynamics. The aerodynamics as well as the environmental impact have also been studied in depth.