Numerically and Experimentally Verified Design of a Small Wind Turbine with Injection Molded Blade

Abstract

Although mega-watt class onshore and offshore wind power systems are used to generate power due to their cost-effectiveness, small wind power systems are important for household usages. Researchers have focused on aerodynamic characteristics as a conceptual design from their previous studies on Archimedes spiral wind turbines. Here, we verified the design of a small wind turbine AWM-750D (100 W capacity) via both numerical simulation and experimentation. We used commercial code ANSYS CFX for numerical simulation and compared turbulence models and surface roughness for determining the performance. To obtain reliable and robust blades, we analyzed the effective manufacturing method with Moldflow. Through a test with an open-suction type atmospheric boundary layer wind tunnel, we varied wind speed from 4.0 m/s to the rated value of 12.5 m/s and obtained 106 W, equivalent to a power coefficient of 0.205. In addition, we compared the numerical and experimental power vs. rotational speed and found the former is 6.5% lower than the latter. In this study, we proved that numerical simulations can act as design verification methods to predict wind turbine performances and reliable manufacturing. Through our research, we provided the prototype of a small wind turbine with 100 W to act as an efficient electric power supplier for households and also the stable manufacturing process for complex spiral blades using injection molding.