Aerodynamic Analysis of Darrieus Wind Turbine Using Blade Element Theory

Abstract

This document presents a detailed analysis of the application of Blade Element Theory (BET) to a Darrieus wind turbine design, featuring two Troposkien blade shapes, each incorporating a constant symmetrical NACA0015 airfoil. BET is a widely used method for analyzing the aerodynamic performance of wind turbine blades and for aiding the design process. The study calculates the aerodynamic blade loads by evaluating forces on individual blade elements and integrates these results to estimate the overall performance. These calculated results, specifically the torque coefficient and power coefficient, are compared to available experimental data, revealing that the theoretical predictions show reasonable agreement, albeit with some discrepancies. These differences are likely attributable to the simplifications in the BET model, such as the neglect of vortex effects, which can influence the accuracy of results under certain conditions. Despite these limitations, the BET method provides a practical tool for wind turbine designers, offering a useful balance between computational efficiency and performance estimation. However, it is acknowledged that BET is not ideal for accurately simulating the wake effects or capturing the complexities of three-dimensional flow phenomena. The study concludes that while BET is effective for preliminary design and analysis, further research and more advanced simulations are necessary to refine the methodology and improve the precision of wind turbine performance predictions.