Optimum aerodynamic design for wind turbine blade with a Rankine vortex wake

This paper presents a model to optimize the distribution of chord and twist angle of horizontal axis wind turbine blades, taking into account the influence of the wake, by using a Rankine vortex. This model is applied to both large and small wind turbines, aiming to improve the aerodynamics of the wind rotor, and particularly useful for the case of wind turbines operating at low tip-speed ratios. The proposed optimization is based on maximizing the power coefficient, coupled with the general relationship between the axial induction factor in the rotor plane and in the wake. The results show an increase in the chord and a slightly decrease in the twist angle distributions as compared to other classical optimization methods, resulting in an improved aerodynamic shape of the blade. An evaluation of the efficiency of wind rotors designed with the proposed model is developed and compared other optimization models in the literature, showing an improvement in the power coefficient of the wind turbine.

► We developed an optimization model for wind turbine with a Rankine vortex wake.
► The model is presented with a discussion on the numerical aspects and its validity.
► The model computes the optimal distributions of chord and twist angle.
► The methodology is employed for large and small wind turbines.
► The model improves the efficiency around 18% when compared with other classical models.