The Effect of Nacelle Shape and Blade Geometry on the Performance of Small Scale Wind Turbine

In recent years, there has been a significant increase in research efforts aimed at enhancing the efficiency of clean and renewable energy sources, particularly in the field of wind turbine energy. In order to reduce drag forces and maximise power output, a comprehensive analysis was conducted in the current study to investigate the impact of various geometric factors on Small Scale Wind Turbine (SSWT) performance. The effects of blade chamfer shape, pitch angle between blades, nacelle shape, and blade aspect ratio were examined. The analysis was conducted by varying wind speed values while keeping temperatures and atmospheric pressure constant. The Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) equations, together with the continuity and momentum equations, are solved using the commercial Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) algorithm in Ansys software. The study revealed that the blade chamfer form had the greatest impact on the turbine power output, with the blade pitch angle being the second most critical factor, particularly at higher wind speeds. Moreover, at a velocity of 3 meters per second, the SSWT model demonstrated its peak power output when utilizing a chamfer ratio of 0.25. Conversely, when the wind speed increased to 10 meters per second, the turbine’s maximum power output was observed at a chamfer ratio of 0.28. These findings demonstrated the significance of using this technology in wind turbines. The model’s achieved power was similarly influenced by the nacelle form and blade aspect ratio, but to a lesser degree.