Numerical Simulation of Aerodynamic Characteristics of Trailing Edge Flaps for FFA-W3-241 Wind Turbine Airfoil

The blades of wind turbines constitute key components for converting wind energy into electrical energy, and modifications to blade airfoil geometry can effectively enhance aerodynamic performance of wind turbine. The trailing edge flap enables load control on the blades through adjustments of its m...

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Main Authors: Jiaxin Xu, Zhongyao Ji, Yihuang Zhang, Geye Yao, Yaoru Qian, Zhengzhi Wang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2025-04-01
Series:Machines
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1702/13/5/366
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author Jiaxin Xu
Zhongyao Ji
Yihuang Zhang
Geye Yao
Yaoru Qian
Zhengzhi Wang
author_facet Jiaxin Xu
Zhongyao Ji
Yihuang Zhang
Geye Yao
Yaoru Qian
Zhengzhi Wang
author_sort Jiaxin Xu
collection DOAJ
description The blades of wind turbines constitute key components for converting wind energy into electrical energy, and modifications to blade airfoil geometry can effectively enhance aerodynamic performance of wind turbine. The trailing edge flap enables load control on the blades through adjustments of its motion and geometric parameters, thereby overcoming limitations inherent in conventional pitch control systems. However, current research primarily emphasizes isolated parametric effects on airfoil performance, with limited exploration of interactions between multiple design variables. This study adopts a numerical simulation approach based on the FFA-W3-241 airfoil of the DTU 10 MW. Geometric deformations are achieved by manipulating flap parameters, and the influence on airfoil aerodynamic performance is analyzed using computational fluid dynamics methods. Investigations are conducted into the effects of flap lengths and deflection angles on airfoil aerodynamic characteristics. The results show the existence of an optimal flap length and deflection angle combination. Specifically, when the flap length is 0.1<inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mi>c</mi></semantics></math></inline-formula> and the deflection angle is 10°, the lift-to-drag ratio demonstrates significant improvement under defined operational conditions. These findings offer practical guidance for optimizing wind turbine airfoil designs.
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issn 2075-1702
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spelling doaj-art-63acdc6f524b4e32a8a649835c45d2862025-08-20T01:56:28ZengMDPI AGMachines2075-17022025-04-0113536610.3390/machines13050366Numerical Simulation of Aerodynamic Characteristics of Trailing Edge Flaps for FFA-W3-241 Wind Turbine AirfoilJiaxin Xu0Zhongyao Ji1Yihuang Zhang2Geye Yao3Yaoru Qian4Zhengzhi Wang5School of Energy and Power Engineering, Nanjing Institute of Technology, Nanjing 211167, ChinaSchool of Energy and Power Engineering, Nanjing Institute of Technology, Nanjing 211167, ChinaSchool of Energy and Power Engineering, Nanjing Institute of Technology, Nanjing 211167, ChinaSchool of Energy and Power Engineering, Nanjing Institute of Technology, Nanjing 211167, ChinaSchool of Energy and Power Engineering, Nanjing Institute of Technology, Nanjing 211167, ChinaSchool of Energy and Power Engineering, Nanjing Institute of Technology, Nanjing 211167, ChinaThe blades of wind turbines constitute key components for converting wind energy into electrical energy, and modifications to blade airfoil geometry can effectively enhance aerodynamic performance of wind turbine. The trailing edge flap enables load control on the blades through adjustments of its motion and geometric parameters, thereby overcoming limitations inherent in conventional pitch control systems. However, current research primarily emphasizes isolated parametric effects on airfoil performance, with limited exploration of interactions between multiple design variables. This study adopts a numerical simulation approach based on the FFA-W3-241 airfoil of the DTU 10 MW. Geometric deformations are achieved by manipulating flap parameters, and the influence on airfoil aerodynamic performance is analyzed using computational fluid dynamics methods. Investigations are conducted into the effects of flap lengths and deflection angles on airfoil aerodynamic characteristics. The results show the existence of an optimal flap length and deflection angle combination. Specifically, when the flap length is 0.1<inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mi>c</mi></semantics></math></inline-formula> and the deflection angle is 10°, the lift-to-drag ratio demonstrates significant improvement under defined operational conditions. These findings offer practical guidance for optimizing wind turbine airfoil designs.https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1702/13/5/366wind turbinesairfoilsaerodynamic characteristicstrailing edge flapdeflection
spellingShingle Jiaxin Xu
Zhongyao Ji
Yihuang Zhang
Geye Yao
Yaoru Qian
Zhengzhi Wang
Numerical Simulation of Aerodynamic Characteristics of Trailing Edge Flaps for FFA-W3-241 Wind Turbine Airfoil
Machines
wind turbines
airfoils
aerodynamic characteristics
trailing edge flap
deflection
title Numerical Simulation of Aerodynamic Characteristics of Trailing Edge Flaps for FFA-W3-241 Wind Turbine Airfoil
title_full Numerical Simulation of Aerodynamic Characteristics of Trailing Edge Flaps for FFA-W3-241 Wind Turbine Airfoil
title_fullStr Numerical Simulation of Aerodynamic Characteristics of Trailing Edge Flaps for FFA-W3-241 Wind Turbine Airfoil
title_full_unstemmed Numerical Simulation of Aerodynamic Characteristics of Trailing Edge Flaps for FFA-W3-241 Wind Turbine Airfoil
title_short Numerical Simulation of Aerodynamic Characteristics of Trailing Edge Flaps for FFA-W3-241 Wind Turbine Airfoil
title_sort numerical simulation of aerodynamic characteristics of trailing edge flaps for ffa w3 241 wind turbine airfoil
topic wind turbines
airfoils
aerodynamic characteristics
trailing edge flap
deflection
url https://www.mdpi.com/2075-1702/13/5/366
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