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Key Words:
SOTA - State of the art
Re number - Reynolds number (Re = V¥c/v)
HAWT - Horizontal axis wind turbine
TSR - tip-to-wind speed ratio
CAD - computer aided design
We plan to initiate the project by doing a thorough SOTA research on airfoils operating at low Re number, existing HAWT rotor blades, and effects of twist, taper, TSR, and their relation to power, lift, and drag. We will also familiarize ourselves with the aerodynamic program YawDyn, and input default wind turbine and airfoil data. We will then create a baseline performance using the current AIR-X blade. The two candidates, and any other airfoils found operating well at low Re number, will be compared to the baseline created in YawDyn.
The final design will be modeled in the CAD program PRO-E, with appropriate details, and will be accompanied by the aerodynamic analysis. Time permitting; we would also like to fabricate the final design into a working model that can be tested in the Southwest Windpower wind tunnel. An outside vendor will be used to fabricate the prototype model.