Design and optimization of seagull airfoil wind energy conversion device

摘要

Remote areas in Northwest China are blind regions without large-scale power grid coverage. To satisfy the residential electricity demand, it is essential to utilize small-scale distributed wind power systems and increase wind energy utilization. The seagull airfoil wind energy conversion device is adopted to improve the aerodynamic performance and increase the use of wind energy. Based on the wind tunnel experiment and numerical simulation, the bending shape of the seagull airfoil is optimized. Further, the cascade structure is constructed using the central bending seagull airfoil to explore the flow mechanisms. The front and rear cascades are the main and secondary regions, accounting for 84% and 16% of the force generated, respectively. The deformation of the blade is significantly larger at the trailing edge than at the leading edge, thereby exhibiting unique deformation characteristics of seagull airfoils. When the impeller is rotated, the average force of each seagull airfoil was 15.1% more than that of the flat airfoil, thereby enabling the absorption of more wind energy and device optimization. Owing to the stress and deformation distribution, the seagull airfoil blade can adapt to different aerodynamic loads by changing the cambers and angles of attack to ensure smooth operation of the device.