Numerical analysis of off-axis wind and passive yaw control of an opposing airfoil paired motionless wind energy system

The energy extraction from urban wind at small-to-medium scale is limited due to lower performance and high capital cost of wind energy systems. This study aims to optimize the passive yaw control mechanism of a motionless wind energy system utilizing opposing S1210 airfoils, focusing on enhancing a...

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Main Authors: Umair Munir, S.M.A. Naqvi, Yousra Filali Baba, Patrick Hays Rice, Uzair Sajjad, Gwi Hyun Lee, Muhammad Imtiaz Hussain
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-07-01
Series:Energy Conversion and Management: X
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590174525003393
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author Umair Munir
S.M.A. Naqvi
Yousra Filali Baba
Patrick Hays Rice
Uzair Sajjad
Gwi Hyun Lee
Muhammad Imtiaz Hussain
author_facet Umair Munir
S.M.A. Naqvi
Yousra Filali Baba
Patrick Hays Rice
Uzair Sajjad
Gwi Hyun Lee
Muhammad Imtiaz Hussain
author_sort Umair Munir
collection DOAJ
description The energy extraction from urban wind at small-to-medium scale is limited due to lower performance and high capital cost of wind energy systems. This study aims to optimize the passive yaw control mechanism of a motionless wind energy system utilizing opposing S1210 airfoils, focusing on enhancing alignment with variable wind directions. A computational fluid dynamics (CFD) framework evaluates five tail vane designs NACA0012, triangular, trapezoidal, arrow, and rounded to assess their aerodynamic performance in generating lift, minimizing drag, and producing turning moments for self-alignment. Results demonstrate that the NACA0012 airfoil-shaped vane achieves superior efficiency, balancing high lift (15 % greater than alternatives) and low drag, enabling robust turbine orientation even at wind speeds of 8 m/s. However, off-axis wind angles exceeding 15° degrade performance drastically, reducing the coefficient of performance (COP) by 26 % and 81 % at 20° and 25°, respectively, highlighting the importance of passive yaw control. The findings contribute to optimizing the paired airfoil wind energy system for improved performance in urban wind conditions. The study concludes that integrating streamlined tail vanes, such as the NACA0012, significantly enhances the viability of motionless wind turbines for urban deployment, offering a cost-effective solution to harness low-to-medium wind speeds with minimal maintenance.
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spelling doaj-art-75af15b9723645db85fde84a5db578aa2025-08-23T04:49:05ZengElsevierEnergy Conversion and Management: X2590-17452025-07-012710120710.1016/j.ecmx.2025.101207Numerical analysis of off-axis wind and passive yaw control of an opposing airfoil paired motionless wind energy systemUmair Munir0S.M.A. Naqvi1Yousra Filali Baba2Patrick Hays Rice3Uzair Sajjad4Gwi Hyun Lee5Muhammad Imtiaz Hussain6Mechanical Engineering Department, NFC-IEFR, Faisalabad 38090, PakistanDepartment of Energy and Power Engineering, School of Mechanical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing 100081, China; Zhengzhou Research Institute, Beijing Institute of Technology, Zhengzhou 450000, ChinaDepartment of Energy and Environment, Energy Research Center, Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Arts et Métiers (ENSAM-R), Mohammed V University, B.P 6207 Rabat, MoroccoOffice of Science & Research, The College of the Florida Keys, 5901 College Rd., Key West, FL 33040, United States of AmericaInterdisciplinary Research Center for Sustainable Energy Systems (IRC-SES), King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia; Corresponding authors.Interdisciplinary Program in Smart Agriculture, Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 24341, South KoreaDepartment of Engineering & Technology, The College of the Florida Keys, 5901 College Rd., Key West, FL 33040, United States of America; Corresponding authors.The energy extraction from urban wind at small-to-medium scale is limited due to lower performance and high capital cost of wind energy systems. This study aims to optimize the passive yaw control mechanism of a motionless wind energy system utilizing opposing S1210 airfoils, focusing on enhancing alignment with variable wind directions. A computational fluid dynamics (CFD) framework evaluates five tail vane designs NACA0012, triangular, trapezoidal, arrow, and rounded to assess their aerodynamic performance in generating lift, minimizing drag, and producing turning moments for self-alignment. Results demonstrate that the NACA0012 airfoil-shaped vane achieves superior efficiency, balancing high lift (15 % greater than alternatives) and low drag, enabling robust turbine orientation even at wind speeds of 8 m/s. However, off-axis wind angles exceeding 15° degrade performance drastically, reducing the coefficient of performance (COP) by 26 % and 81 % at 20° and 25°, respectively, highlighting the importance of passive yaw control. The findings contribute to optimizing the paired airfoil wind energy system for improved performance in urban wind conditions. The study concludes that integrating streamlined tail vanes, such as the NACA0012, significantly enhances the viability of motionless wind turbines for urban deployment, offering a cost-effective solution to harness low-to-medium wind speeds with minimal maintenance.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590174525003393Passive yaw systemMotionless wind energyUrban wind turbineAirfoil pair
spellingShingle Umair Munir
S.M.A. Naqvi
Yousra Filali Baba
Patrick Hays Rice
Uzair Sajjad
Gwi Hyun Lee
Muhammad Imtiaz Hussain
Numerical analysis of off-axis wind and passive yaw control of an opposing airfoil paired motionless wind energy system
Energy Conversion and Management: X
Passive yaw system
Motionless wind energy
Urban wind turbine
Airfoil pair
title Numerical analysis of off-axis wind and passive yaw control of an opposing airfoil paired motionless wind energy system
title_full Numerical analysis of off-axis wind and passive yaw control of an opposing airfoil paired motionless wind energy system
title_fullStr Numerical analysis of off-axis wind and passive yaw control of an opposing airfoil paired motionless wind energy system
title_full_unstemmed Numerical analysis of off-axis wind and passive yaw control of an opposing airfoil paired motionless wind energy system
title_short Numerical analysis of off-axis wind and passive yaw control of an opposing airfoil paired motionless wind energy system
title_sort numerical analysis of off axis wind and passive yaw control of an opposing airfoil paired motionless wind energy system
topic Passive yaw system
Motionless wind energy
Urban wind turbine
Airfoil pair
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590174525003393
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