Novel image analysis method for blade aerodynamic performance on operational turbine

Abstract

Tuft flow visualisation has been used to study aerodynamic stall on wind turbine blades for several decades. In recent years, advances in the processing power of personal computers have made digital image processing vastly more accessible. In this paper, therefore, a novel method is presented to digitally analyse tuft flow visualisation on the blade of an operating wind turbine. Examination of the outboard 40% of the blade of a 10 m diameter wind turbine revealed stalled flow in wind speeds from 5m/s to 20m/s. The region of stall at those speeds increased from 5% to 40% of the coverage area of the tufts. This increase in the amount of stalled flow is expected for stall-regulated wind turbines. Overall, the results are very promising and demonstrate potential for a wide range of aerodynamics applications including real-time blade stall determination and classical wind tunnel aerodynamics studies. © Published under licence by IOP Publishing Ltd.