The cost of wind-generated electricity can be reduced by mitigating fatigue loads acting on the rotor blades of wind turbines. One way to accomplish this is with active aerodynamic load control devices that supplement the load control obtainable with current full-span pitch control. Thin airfoil theory suggests that such devices will be more effective if they are located near the blade trailing edge. While considerable effort in Europe is concentrating on the capability of conventional trailing edge flaps to control these loads, our effort is concentrating on very small devices, called microtabs, that produce similar effects. This paper discusses the work we have done on microtabs, including a recent simulation that illustrates the large impact these small devices can exert on a blade. Although microtabs show promise for this application, significant challenges must be overcome before they can be demonstrated to be a viable, cost-effective technology.
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ASME/JSME 2007 5th Joint Fluids Engineering Conference
July 30–August 2, 2007
San Diego, California, USA
Conference Sponsors:
- Fluids Engineering Division
ISBN:
0-7918-4289-4
PROCEEDINGS PAPER
Active Aerodynamic Load Control of Wind Turbine Blades Available to Purchase
Dale E. Berg,
Dale E. Berg
Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM
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Jose R. Zayas,
Jose R. Zayas
Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM
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Donald W. Lobitz,
Donald W. Lobitz
Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM
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C. P. van Dam,
C. P. van Dam
University of Calfornia at Davis, Davis, CA
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Raymond Chow,
Raymond Chow
University of Calfornia at Davis, Davis, CA
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Jonathon P. Baker
Jonathon P. Baker
University of Calfornia at Davis, Davis, CA
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Dale E. Berg
Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM
Jose R. Zayas
Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM
Donald W. Lobitz
Sandia National Laboratories, Albuquerque, NM
C. P. van Dam
University of Calfornia at Davis, Davis, CA
Raymond Chow
University of Calfornia at Davis, Davis, CA
Jonathon P. Baker
University of Calfornia at Davis, Davis, CA
Paper No:
FEDSM2007-37604, pp. 1119-1127; 9 pages
Published Online:
March 30, 2009
Citation
Berg, DE, Zayas, JR, Lobitz, DW, van Dam, CP, Chow, R, & Baker, JP. "Active Aerodynamic Load Control of Wind Turbine Blades." Proceedings of the ASME/JSME 2007 5th Joint Fluids Engineering Conference. Volume 2: Fora, Parts A and B. San Diego, California, USA. July 30–August 2, 2007. pp. 1119-1127. ASME. https://doi.org/10.1115/FEDSM2007-37604
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