Enhancing wind turbine performance in cold climate through analysis of aerodynamic lift and drag

Simple item page
dc.contributor.authorOdiagbe, Franklin Oyakhilomen
dc.contributor.co-supervisorMasu, L. M., Prof.
dc.contributor.supervisorAlugongo, A. A., Prof.
dc.date.accessioned2024-08-18T08:24:21Z
dc.date.available2024-08-18T08:24:21Z
dc.date.issued2022
dc.descriptionM. Tech. (Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Technology), Vaal University of Technology.en_US
dc.description.abstractWind energy is one of the most economically sustainable energy, and power plays an important role in the diversification of energy security. Renewable energy resources such as wind energy are constantly replenished, and it is inexhaustible. Being one of the most environment-friendly and renewable, wind energy attracts enormous interest globally. However, wind energy production faces severe challenges in harshly cold climates or low-temperature conditions. Cold weather reduces the aerodynamic lift and increases aerodynamic drag, as ice accretes on the wind turbine blades. Some of the best sites for wind farms installation are cold regions, where the air density is favourable because of low-temperature conditions. Super-cooled droplets and precipitation affect the wind turbine operations and change the aerodynamic profile of the blade through ice accretion. This dissertation focuses on enhancing wind turbine performance in cold climate through ice accretion. this dissertation focuses on enhancing wind turbine performance in cold climate through analysis of aerodynamic lift and drags, using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and electromagnetic radiation principles. This is based on heat and mass transfer mechanisms of operation to prevent ice accretion on the turbine blades. To optimize the large wind turbines operation in ice prone cold regions, it is important to better understand the ice accretion behaviour and its effects on aerodynamic performance and power production losses. Numerical simulations on ice accretion for wind turbine aerodynamic were carried out for glaze and rime ice conditons using ANSYS. A multiphase based Computational Fluid Dynamic ANSYS was used to analyse electromagnetic radiation and the heat and mass transfer on the wind turbine. Results show that icing on a wind turbine can be mitigated using electromagnetic radiation and heat and mass transfer. Conservation of momentum and heat and mass transfer was applied to determine the effect of ice accretion on aerodynamic lift and drag. Ice mainly accretes along the leading edge of blade profile, which changes the aerodynamics profile by increasing surface roughness and heat fluxes during glaze and rime ice accretion. The effect of electromagnetic radiation on icing time and wind turbine rotation speed were analysed using the working principle of the infrared thermography ice sensing technique. Data collected by infrared sensors were used to retrieve features and parameters (temperature, icing time and wind turbine rotation speed) of the observed surface, without physical contact. The performance of electromagnetic radiation on wind turbine blades aerodynamic forces using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) with Navier-Stokes equations and heat and mass transfer has been analysed and recommendations were drawn from the conclusions. The results from this investigation shows that electromagnetic energies are promising techniques for measuring critical parameters such as wind speed, icing time, and temperature of ice accretion. The electromagnetic energy (thermal infrared sensor) also detects the presence, type, location, thickness, and rate of the ice on a blade's surface. The combination of passing temperature gradients of fluid and solid requires heat transfer. The flow rate of passing temperature through the process (heat and mass transfer) has an essential impact on the application of Navier-Stroke equations for fluid around the wind turbine aerodynamic coefficients.en_US
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10352/770
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.publisherVaal University of Technologyen_US
dc.subjectWind turbine performanceen_US
dc.subjectComputational Fluid Dynamics (CFD)en_US
dc.subjectElectromagnetic radiationen_US
dc.subjectAerodynamics profileen_US
dc.subjectWind turbine bladesen_US
dc.subject.lcshDissertations, Academic -- South Africa.en_US
dc.subject.lcshWind turbines -- Aerodynamics.en_US
dc.subject.lcshWind turbines -- Environmental aspects.eb_US
dc.subject.lcshWind energy conversion system.en_US
dc.subject.lcshComputational fluid dynamics.en_US
dc.subject.lcshRenewable energy sources.en_US
dc.subject.lcshLift (Aerodynamics).en_US
dc.subject.lcshElectromagnetic waves.en_US
dc.titleEnhancing wind turbine performance in cold climate through analysis of aerodynamic lift and dragen_US
dc.typeThesisen_US
Files
Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
ODIAGBE Franklin Oyakhilomen -217050360 - Mechanical Engineering .pdf
Size:
1.09 MB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Description:
Download
License bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
No Thumbnail Available
Name:
license.txt
Size:
1.71 KB
Format:
Item-specific license agreed upon to submission
Description:
Download
Collections
Theses and Dissertations (Mechanical Engineering)