Design and fabrication of small horizontal axis wind turbine rotors at low reynolds number

Abstract

This research paper presents a design and fabrication of 100 Watt small horizontal axis wind turbine with 0.24 m and 0.35 m rotor radius and tip speed ratio varies from 2 to 10 was designed and development for operated at low wind speed with Low Reynolds number. In this paper, a new airfoil profile was designed and developed, it’s denoted by MK115. The numerical and experimental analysis for 6 airfoils using Xfoil software was conducted with a view to evaluating the lift-to-drag ratio and angle of attack by means of the SD7024, SG6043, NACA2412, S1210, E213, and New Airfoil (MK115) tested. In simulation, new MK115 airfoil was the most convenient airfoil to start high energy production for low-wind applications, on the Reynolds number 25000, 50000, 75000, and 100000 in improved airfoil (MK115) tests an Open type wind tunnel. An Xfoil analysis to obtain further data on the flow characteristics was also conducted. (MK115) airfoil have CLmax of 0.92, 1.25, 1.69, 1.67 at Re=25k, 50k, 75k and 100k for an angle of attack is equal to 100. A maximum lift to drag ratio (Cl/Cd) of 7,16,50,63 at Re=25k, 50k, 75k and 100k for New airfoil (MK115) at angle of attack (α) =40, 40, 80, 80. SG6043, NACA2412, E214, SD7034, S1210 and MK115 (New airfoil) have the Maximum Cp=0.37, 0.36, 0.4, 0.39, 0.44, and 0.44 at tip speed ratio (λ) =6 for Reynolds number is equal to 100000. MK115, Maximum Torque obtained 0.9744 Nm, 1.389 Nm and 2.4866 Nm at blade angle =0, 15 and 30 degrees respectively. Power coefficient (Cp) =0.51, 0.5, 0.46, and 0.4 at Rotor shaft angle=00, 50, 100, and 150 respectively for the new airfoil results.