Control System for the Performance Analysis of Turbines at Laboratory Scale

The generation of sustainable energy through wind and hydrokinetic turbines, which convert the kinetic energy from fluid flows into mechanical energy, presents an attractive solution for diversifying the country energy matrix in response to climate change. Consequently, numerous studies have investigated the aerodynamic and hydrodynamic behaviors of various wind and hydrokinetic turbines using numerical simulations to understand their interaction with the surrounding fluid flows and enhance their performance. However, to validate these studies and aiming at improving the turbine design, experimental studies on a laboratory scale employing wind tunnels and hydraulic channels are essential. This work addresses the development and implementation of a reliable control system for experimentally evaluating the power coefficient (Cp) versus the tip speed ratio (TSR) curve of wind and hydrokinetic turbines. The control system, based on a DC motor acting as a generator and aligned with a commercial torque sensor, enables a precise control over the experimental setup. By obtaining and comparing the experimental performance curves of Cp versus TSR for both wind and hydrokinetic turbines with numerical results, the effectiveness and accuracy of the developed control system are demonstrated. A satisfactory fit between numerical and experimental results was achieved, underscoring the utility and reliability of the control system for assessing the turbine performance.