Aerodynamic Performance - Low Reynold Number
Aerodynamic Performance - Low Reynold Number
H O S T E D BY
Alexandria University
a
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
b
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Kumasi Technical University, P. O. Box 854, Kumasi, Ghana
c
The Brew-Hammond Energy Center, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana
d Norway
Faculty of Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, As,
e
Department of Mechanical Engineering, KAAF University College, Ghana
KEYWORDS Abstract In this study, the aerodynamic performance characteristics of three new EYO-Series low
Airfoil; Reynolds number (Re) airfoils were tested at Re = 100,000 to 500,000, which are typical range of
Lift coefficient; Re numbers encountered by airfoils of small wind turbine blades. The results generally demon-
Drag coefficient; strated aerodynamic performance improvements of all three airfoils with increase in Re. EYO7-8
Lift-to-drag ratio; recorded the highest lift-to-drag ratio of 170 at Re = 500,000. EYO9-8 had the highest stall angle
Drag bucket; of 15° at all tested Re except at Re = 200,000. EYO9-8 again had gradual stall performances at all
Small wind turbine; Re. All three airfoils also had good drag bucket performances where initial increases in lift were
Low Reynolds number; accompanied by either constant or reducing drag. The findings from this study showed that there
Wind energy are no significant variations in the lift performance for Re 300,000. The low variation in lift per-
formance for the EYO-Series airfoils is desirable for the design of small wind turbine blades for low
Re applications.
Ó 2022 THE AUTHORS. Published by Elsevier BV on behalf of Faculty of Engineering, Alexandria
University. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/
4.0/).
1. Introduction
* Corresponding author at: Faculty of Environmental Sciences and
Natural Resource Management, Norwegian University of Life Renewable energy supply has been identified as one of the
Norway (M.S. Adaramola).
Sciences, As, main solutions to the problem of climate change, its devastat-
E-mail addresses: emma.y.osei@gmail.com (E. Yeboah Osei), ropoku. ing impacts on the environment, and its dangerous anthro-
coe@knust.edu.gh (R. Opoku), muyiwa.adaramola@nmbu.no pogenic interference [1–5]. Fossil-fuel power generation
(M.S. Adaramola). which is known to be a major contributor to climate change
Peer review under responsibility of Faculty of Engineering, Alexandria has been the main energy source for the world, especially in
University.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aej.2022.05.049
1110-0168 Ó 2022 THE AUTHORS. Published by Elsevier BV on behalf of Faculty of Engineering, Alexandria University.
This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
12302 E. Yeboah Osei et al.
Nomenclature
sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) [6,7]. In SSA, access to sustainable small wind turbine applications [40]. The research recorded
energy is a challenge and over 600 million people lack access general improvements in airfoil performance with respect to
to basic electricity [8–10]. increase in Re. At Re = 500,000, SG6040, SG6041, SG6042,
Wind energy is renewable, clean, and it is capable of pro- and SG6043 had maximum lift-to-drag ratio performances of
ducing power for small-scale and large-scale applications 86.6, 84.4, 105.9, and 125.1 respectively. However, at
[11–15]. However, not much research has been conducted to Re = 100,000, SG6040, SG6041, SG6042, and SG6043 had
the development of small-scale wind power technology, and maximum lift-to-drag ratio performances of 46.0, 51.5, 55.6,
this has slowed down their performance improvements and and 59.4 respectively. The maximum lift coefficients at
market penetration [16–19]. As a result of this, the aerody- Re = 500,000 were 1.42, 1.36, 1.52, and 1.70 for SG6040,
namic efficiencies of small-scale wind turbines generally lag SG6041, SG6042, and SG6043 respectively.
behind large-scale wind turbines [20,21]. For improved aerody- In addition, AF300 low Re wind turbine blade airfoil was
namic performance, small-scale wind turbines require the use developed in XFOIL by modifying other airfoils and was
of blades with special airfoils capable of good performance tested at Re between 38,000 and 205,000 [41]. The study
under low wind speed conditions [22]. recorded airfoil performance improvements with respect to
Airflows around small wind turbine blades are generally increase in Re. At Re = 100,000, AF300 had maximum lift-
dominated by low Reynolds number (Re) typically below to-drag ratio, maximum lift coefficient, and stall angle of 54,
500,000 [23–25]. Under these low Re conditions, improperly 2.05, and 14° respectively.
designed blade airfoils experience performance deterioration The ‘‘T.Urban 10/193” airfoil was designed and tested in
which negatively affects the wind turbine operating aerody- XFOIL for application in small wind turbines for urban envi-
namic efficiency [26–30]. For improved aerodynamic efficiency, ronment [42]. At Re = 500,000, the maximum lift-to-drag
small wind turbine blade airfoils need to have good perfor- ratio, maximum lift coefficient, and stall angle were 95, 1.9,
mances for lift, drag, lift-to-drag ratio, stall, and drag bucket and 12° respectively. However, at Re = 60,000, the maximum
[31–37]. Various studies have been conducted to develop wind lift-to-drag ratio, maximum lift coefficient, and stall angle were
turbine blade airfoils for low wind speed applications. Some of 18, 1.7, and 8° respectively.
these studies are discussed as follows. From the discussed literature, it is established that the aero-
Fifteen low Re airfoils (A18, BW-3, Clark-Y, E387, dynamic performance characteristics of an airfoil changes with
Go471a, NACA2414, RG15, S822, S823, S6062, S7012, the airflow Re. Thus, an airfoil will perform differently under
SD6060, SD7032, SD7037, and SD7062) were studied for aero- different Re conditions. For typical wind turbine applications,
dynamic performance [38]. The research recorded aerodynamic the airfoils along a blade encounter different Re conditions
performance improvements with respect to increase in Re as during normal operation. As a result for any wind turbine
well as relatively better performance for the thinner airfoils blade design to be successful, the aerodynamic performance
than the thicker airfoils. For example, at Re = 300,000, characteristics of the blade airfoils under different Re condi-
SD7032 and S823 airfoils had the highest and lowest maximum tions must be known and must be factored into the design pro-
lift-to-drag ratios of 83 and 63 respectively while SD7062 air- cess. From the literature review, the highest lift-to-drag ratio
foil had the highest lift coefficient of 1.66. performance reported for low Re applications is 125 for
Furthermore, six airfoils (E387, FX63-137, S822, S834, SG6043 airfoil at Re = 500,000. The highest stall angle
SD2030, and SH3055) were studied for aerodynamic perfor- recorded is 14° for AF300 airfoil at Re = 100,000. These
mance characteristics under low Re conditions between parameters are essential for the aerodynamic performance of
100,000 and 500,000 [39]. At Re = 500,000, FX63-137 small wind turbine blades and could be improved with the
recorded the highest maximum lift-to-drag ratio of 108 and development of new and optimized airfoils.
stall angle of 12°. However, at Re = 100,000, SD2030 The EYO-Series airfoils (EYO7-8, EYO8-8, and EYO9-8)
recorded the highest maximum lift-to-drag ratio of 53 and developed in a previous study was designed and solely tested
the same stall angle of 12°. at Re = 300,000 [43]. In this current study, the EYO-Series
Likewise, SG604x family airfoils (SG6040, SG6041, airfoils are tested at a range of Re conditions between
SG6042, and SG6043) were developed and tested for low Re Re = 100,000 and 500,000 to ascertain their aerodynamic
Small wind turbine applications 12303
The lift performance curves for the designed and tested airfoils
for Re = 100,000 to 500,000 are shown in Fig. 3, Fig. 4, and
Fig. 5 for EYO7-8, EYO8-8, and EYO9-8 respectively. The
results showed that the lift coefficients generally improved with
increase in Re. EYO7-8 had close lift performances for Re
from 200,000 to 500,000. The EYO7-8 airfoil had the highest
maximum lift coefficient of 1.804 at Re = 500,000. The lowest
maximum lift coefficient of 1.707 occurred at Re = 100,000.
The lift performance curves for EYO8-8 airfoil for
Re = 100,000 to 500,000 are presented in Fig. 4. Likewise,
the lift coefficient performance generally improved with
increase in Re. At Re = 200,000 to 500,000 and for angle of
attack below 10°, the lift coefficient performances were close.
EYO8-8 airfoil had the highest and lowest maximum lift coef-
ficients of 1.837 and 1.749 at Re = 500,000 and Re = 100,000
Fig. 1 Summary of XFOIL procedure for airfoil test. respectively.
12304 E. Yeboah Osei et al.
The lift performance curves for EYO9-8 airfoil for The lift-to-drag ratio performance curves of EYO7-8, EYO8-8,
Re = 100,000 to 500,000 are presented in Fig. 5. The lift coef- and EYO9-8 airfoils for Re = 100,000 to 500,000 are pre-
ficient performance improved with increase in Re, with consis- sented in Fig. 6, Fig. 7, and Fig. 8 respectively. Generally,
tently close performance for Re = 200,000 to 500,000. EYO9- for all three airfoils, the lift-to-drag ratio performance
8 airfoil had the highest and lowest maximum lift coefficients improved with increase in Re and had a dome-shaped relation-
of 1.875 and 1.789 respectively at Re = 500,000 and ship with angle of attack for each Re. The highest lift-to-drag
Re = 100,000 respectively. ratio performance for all angles of attack occurred at
Small wind turbine applications 12305
Fig. 6 Lift-to-drag ratio performance for EYO7-8 airfoil. Fig. 8 Lift-to-drag ratio performance for EYO9-8 airfoil.
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