DESIGN AND ANALYSIS OF WIND TURBINES USING HELICOIDAL VORTEX MODEL

The design and analysis of wind turbines is carried out using a helicoidal vortex model that allows for accurate calculation of the induced velocities using the Biot-Savart law. The design corresponds to the maximum power output for a given thrust and the distributions of circulation, induced velocities, chord and twist of two- and three-bladed rotors are obtained. The analysis of turbines at off-design conditions is based on the same helicoidal vortex model, however, the power is not prescribed and an iteration is needed to insure that the vortex system is consistent with the resulting power extracted from the air. 2-D data from experiments or viscous codes are used to correct for viscous effects. Comparisons with published cases indicate that the method produces useful results very efficiently.