Multi-point robust design optimization of wind turbine airfoil under geometric uncertainty

Modern wind turbine airfoil designs are increasingly emphasizing low sensitivity to the leading edge roughness in addition to good aerodynamic performances under varying wind conditions. In this study, a multi-point robust design optimization method has been systematically established for the wind turbine airfoil. The objective is to not only maximize the lift-to-drag ratio and lift coefficient at and near the design point, but also minimize their sensitivity to the leading edge roughness associated with the geometry profile uncertainty. The geometry parameterization of the airfoil is conducted by the Bezier curves. In the robust optimization, the multi-objective genetic algorithm, Monte Carlo simulation technique, and artificial neural network model are used. The results show that both the robust Pareto optimal (RPO) and deterministic Pareto optimal (DPO) airfoils have higher lift-to-drag ratio and lift coefficient than the original design FX 63-137 at and near the design point. A smaller maximum camber and larger radii near the leading edge help the RPO airfoil outperform both the DPO and original ones in terms of low sensitivity to the leading edge roughness. This study may be useful to the future development of the wind turbine airfoils with higher efficiency and reliability.

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