International Collaborative Research in Wind Turbine Rotor Aerodynamics

Five organizations from four countries are collaborating to conduct detailed wind turbine aerodynamic test programs. Full scale atmospheric testing will be conducted on turbines configured to measure aerodynamic forces on rotating airfoils. The purpose of these test programs is to come to a better understanding of the steady and unsteady aerodynamic behavior of wind turbine rotors, and provideinformation needed to build accurate aerodynamic models for design codes. Stall, dynamic inflow, yaw conditions, and tower effects all contribute to unknown aerodynamic responses. These unknown responses make it extremely difficult to produce cost-effective wind turbine designs. Turbines behave unexpectedly, experiencing power surges and higher fatigue loads than predicted. In order to evolvestate-of-the-art wind turbine designs, these aerodynamic effects must be quantified and understood. This paper describes a coordinated international research effort that is underway to accelerate this key research area, and help develop a more thorough understanding of wind turbine aerodynamics.