Wind turbines will become more powerful and cheaper: engineers have developed improved rotors

Engineers modeled designs with different blades and determined which one would provide the most power with the least weight and cost.

A team of scientists led by Mike Jong from the University of Virginia has developed new rotor designs that should significantly increase the power and performance of offshore wind turbines. The research is published in the journal Applied Energy.

The need for larger and more efficient wind turbines is increasing, so new technologies are needed to maximize energy production while minimizing rotor weight and associated costs. In their work, the authors took into account the complex dynamics of the fluid structure, which is critically important at such sizes.

“Our research is focused on the development of cost-effective wind turbine rotors of unprecedented size, intended for operation in the open sea, where the winds are stronger.” , — emphasized Michael Jong.

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He and his team calculated the size and shape of wind turbine blades for three different innovative rotors, all aimed at aerodynamically increasing power generation. The scientists designed rotors with small, medium and large blade widths relative to their length and modeled the turbines to predict which of the three options would perform best in the strong wind gusts typical of marine conditions. Modeling showed that one of the structures — with a moderately balanced blade width — performed best overall, producing the most power while maintaining the lowest weight and cost.

By adjusting the taper of the rotor, which is the angle outside the standard plane of rotation, the tilt of the rotor from the vertical plane, and the geometry of the blade design, the researchers achieved high efficiency energy capture due to the maximum increase in the area of ​​the rotor at its minimum cost. They also paid attention to the lift coefficient of the rotor, which indicates how well the blades of a particular cross-section catch the wind. By optimizing these parameters, it was possible to create a special structure for designing extremely large blades with high efficiency.

“The impact of Michael's work goes beyond a single turbine design. It lays the foundation for future innovations in wind energy technology,” — said University of Virginia School of Engineering and Applied Sciences Professor Eric Lott, who leads the design team for one of the world's largest wind turbines with a capacity of 25 MW.