Effect of Different Voltage Frequencies of Plasma Actuators on Wind Turbine Blade Lift and Rudder Efficiency

In the field of renewable energy, wind power generation is developing rapidly. How to effectively improve the lift performance of wind turbine blades has become an urgent problem. For this reason, a plasma actuator is introduced in this paper to enhance the lift of wind turbine blades, which opens up a new path to solve this dilemma. The impact of plasma actuators with different voltage frequencies on the lift and rudder efficiency of wind turbine blades are explored in this study. Then, the flow control implications of the actuators for the airflow near the rudder are analyzed in detail. It is found that when the plasma actuator is applied to the leading edge of the rudder, the lift and rudder efficiency of the blade improve at both 0° and 15° angles of attack with increasing voltage frequency, but the effects differ significantly. At 0°, the airflow is simpler, the actuator’s control effect is more pronounced, and the rudder efficiency shows a decreasing trend as the rudder reflection angle increases. In contrast, at 15°, due to complex airflow, the actuator’s control capability is weaker, leading to irregular changes in rudder efficiency.