Numerical analysis and optimization of airfoil modeling related to vertical axis wind turbine

Wind turbine designs have evolved significantly in mechanical and electrical aspects, yet aerodynamic analysis of airfoils remains largely reliant on conventional blade element momentum methods. The Q-Blade software is quite effective in analyzing blade performance of wind turbines using double multiple stream tube model which is a simplified aerodynamic simulation. This study numerically analyses the performance of vertical axis wind turbine blades utilizing Q-Blade simulations, with emphasis on key aerodynamic aspects including lift and drag forces. The study deals with two selected airfoil types, namely, Wortmann FX 63-137 and NACA 6409. The software derived results yielded the tip speed ratio and thrust, apart from lift and drag coefficients. Validation of the numerical analysis by comparing with experimental and theoretical data available from literature confirms acceptable agreement. The magnitudes of lift and drag coefficients and their variation with angle of attack were studied. The total thrust on the blades was found to increase exponentially with the tip speed ratio. A mesh sensitivity analysis was also performed to visualize the accuracy of the numerical analysis. The findings highlighted the improved predictive capability of Q-Blade and provided insights for optimizing wind turbine performance.