Special Issue on Wind Turbine Aerodynamics

Aerodynamics of wind turbine wakes Literature review

This report reviews the available literature on the aerodynamics of wind turbines and wind farms. Firstly, two introductory chapters are devoted to the physics of the flow around a wind turbine and the existing engineering models for blade and wake aerodynamics. The focus of this work is however on the numerical modeling of wakes. The difficulties in solving the Navier-Stokes equations are disc...

Special Issue on “ Micro Wind - Power Applications ”

The achievement of technologically efficient solutions for energy generation, distribution and usage represents a crucial need of modern society, both for environmental and economic reasons. An important role in tackling future energy challenges is played on one hand by the replacement of the electrical energy production from conventional fossil based (coal, natural gas, and oil) sources to ren...

Special Issues on Design Optimization of Wind Turbine Structures

A wind turbine is a device that exploits the wind’s kinetic energy by converting it into useful mechanical energy. It basically consists of rotating aerodynamical surfaces (blades) mounted on a hub/shaft assembly, which transmits the produced mechanical power to the selected energy utilizer (e.g. milling or grinding machine, pump, or generator). A control system is usually provided for adjustin...

Special Issue

Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine Aerodynamics: Three-Dimensional, Unsteady, and Separated Flow Influences

Surface pressure data from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s “Unsteady Aerodynamics Experiment” were analyzed to characterize the impact of threedimensionality, unsteadiness, and flow separation effects observed to occur on downwind horizontal axis wind turbines (HAWT). Surface pressure and strain gage data were collected from two rectangular planform blades with S809 airfoil crosssect...