Abstract
In this study, we optimized thick airfoils for wind turbines using a genetic algorithm (GA) coupled with computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and geometric parameterization based on the Akima curve fitting method. Complex and separated flow fields around the airfoils of each design generation were obtained by performing Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes steady flow simulation based on the in-house code of an implicit high-resolution upwind relaxation scheme for finite volume formulation. Airfoils with 40 % and 35 % thickness values were selected as baseline airfoils. An airfoil becomes thicker toward the blade root area, thereby increasing blade stiffness and lowering its aerodynamic efficiency. We optimized the airfoils to simultaneously maximize aerodynamic efficiency and blade thickness. The design variables and objective function correspond to the airfoil coordinates and the lift-to-drag ratio at a high angle of attack with airfoil thickness constraints. We improved the lift-to-drag ratio by 30 %~40 % compared with the baseline airfoils by performing optimization using GA and CFD. The improved airfoils are expected to achieve a 5 %~11 % higher torque coefficient while minimizing the thrust coefficient near the blade root area.
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Recommended by Associate Editor Jungil Lee
Jae-Ho Jeong obtained his B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. from the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Kyushu University until 2010. He worked at Samsung Heavy Industries until 2013. He is a Senior Researcher in the sodium-cooled fast reactor design division of the Korea Atomic Energy Research Institute. His current research interests include computational fluid dynamics and plant system transient analysis in the fields of renewable, fossil, and nuclear energies.
Soo-Hyun Kim is currently a Senior Researcher at the Korea Institute of Energy Research and has been involved in various wind turbines and composite blade design and development projects. He obtained his B.S., M.S., and Ph.D. from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology in 1997–2008. After his studies, he worked at the wind turbine division of Samsung Heavy Industries until 2011.
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Jeong, JH., Kim, SH. Optimization of thick wind turbine airfoils using a genetic algorithm. J Mech Sci Technol 32, 3191–3199 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-018-0622-x
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12206-018-0622-x