Enhancing Wind Turbine Aerodynamics with Flow Controller: A Review

Wind turbines are vital to global renewable energy strategies, yet their aerodynamic performance often falls short of optimal levels, limiting overall efficiency and increasing operational loads. Flow controllers, devices designed to manipulate airflow around turbine blades, have emerged as a promising means of enhancing power capture while mitigating fatigue and structural stresses. This review presents a comprehensive synthesis of current research on aerodynamic optimization using flow controllers, covering both conventional and emerging technologies such as vortex generators, Gurney flaps, microtabs, and plasma actuators. The review evaluates the aerodynamic principles behind these devices, their reported performance improvements in laboratory and field studies, and their potential to extend turbine life and improve energy yield across various wind regimes. Additionally, it examines design considerations, including scalability, integration challenges, and potential trade-offs between efficiency gains and structural integrity. Knowledge gaps, particularly in long-term field validation, controller-turbine interaction modeling, and cost-benefit analysis, are also identified, along with future research directions to address these gaps. By consolidating existing findings, this study provides actionable insights for researchers and industry stakeholders, guiding the development of more efficient, reliable, and sustainable wind energy systems through advanced aerodynamic control solutions.