AERODYNAMIC ANALYSIS OF HORIZONTAL AXIS WIN TURBINE BLADE FOR LOW WIND CONDITION

Wind turbines operating at low wind speeds constantly experience the problem of poor performance due to
reduced aerodynamic behavior on the blades. This is due to the low Reynolds number (Re) resulting from low wind
speeds and small rotor size. The use of specially designed low Re airfoils permits start up at lower wind speeds,
increasing the startup torque and thus improving the overall performance of the turbine.Aerodynamic performance of
a blade profile plays a vital role in improving the efficiency of a wind turbine. To maximize the power output the L/D
ratio has to be increased. This work deals with aerodynamic analysis of low Reynolds number airfoils which performs
well in low wind speed condition. Few airfoils were identified as low Reynolds number airfoil from the literatures and
the analysis was carried out using CFD techniques. Drag and Lift are the two important parameters that are to be
considered in aerodynamics apart from momentum and thrust. Once the lift and drag was calculated it is easier to find
the L/D ratio of an airfoil at various wind speed condition. Then by maximizing the L/D ratio output power can be
increased. On successful completion of the work, problem in increasing power output at low wind sites can be achieved.