Summary of the Delft University Wind Turbine Dedicated Airfoils

Abstract

This paper gives an overview of the design and wind tunnel test results of the wind turbine dedicated airfoils developed by Delft University of Technology (DUT). The DU-airfoils range in maximum relative thickness from 15% to 40% chord. The first designs were made with XFOIL. Since 1995 RFOIL was used, a modified version of XFOIL, featuring an improved prediction around the maximum lift coefficient and capabilities of predicting the effect of rotation on airfoil characteristics. The measured effect of Gurney flaps, trailing edge wedges, vortex generators and trip wires on the airfoil characteristics of various DU-airfoils is presented. Furthermore, a relation between the thickness of the airfoil leading edge and the angle-of-attack for leading edge separation is given.