Improvement of vertical axis wind turbine performance by using the optimized adaptive flap by the Taguchi method

ABSTRACT

In light of the growing use of Vertical Axis Wind Turbines (VAWTs) in urban settings, research is increasingly focusing on passive control methods to enhance VAWT efficiency. This study aims to refine VAWT performance by optimizing an advanced turbine design equipped with an adaptive flap on the blade, focus on the power coefficient (C_P). Using the Taguchi method, the optimization incorporated five control factors: flap position (l_d), flap length (l_f), flap angle (θ), flap tip length (l_t), and angle of the flap tip length (α_tip). The study employed an L₁₆ (5⁴) orthogonal array design. At a 2.62 tip speed ratio (TSR), all models underwent computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation. The influence of each factor was assessed using the ANOVA (Analysis of variance), and C_P predictions were made based on these factors through Regression Analysis (RA). The results revealed optimal configurations of l_d = 0.65c, l_f = 0.15c, θ = 70°, l_t = 0.06c, and α_tip = 8, leading to a C_P 74.01% greater than a conventional VAWT. ANOVA ranked factor contributions as: l_d > l_t > θ > l_f > α_tip, with l_d contributing 39.58% and α_tip only 1.34%. Predictions from the RA aligned well with the numerical findings. In conclusion, the adaptive flap design enhances performance by expanding the wake and amplifying the vortices behind the turbine blade.

KEYWORDS:

• Vertical-axis wind turbine (VAWT)
• adaptive flap
• analysis of variance (ANOVA)
• passive flow control
• Taguchi method
• computational fluid dynamics (CFD)
• Optimization

Disclosure statement

This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.

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Himmet Erdi Tanürün

Assistant Professor Dr. Himmet Erdi Tanürün completed his undergraduate education in Energy Systems Engineering at Osmaniye Korkut Ata University. He pursued his master's and doctoral studies at Gazi University, specializing in Energy Systems Engineering. Throughout his professional career, he has conducted research on the optimization of vertical axis wind turbines, hydrogen production, and exergy analysis. His expertise has been recognized in the industry through various seminars and workshops where he has presented on these topic.