Development of a wind turbine optimization tool using open-source software

A wind turbine rotor optimization tool was developed. The tool makes use of the Blade Element Momentum (BEM) method for the calculation of aerodynamic performance of rotors. A single objective optimization scheme based on genetic algorithms was implemented with the objective function being to maximize the annual energy production (AEP) of a rotor for a particular wind site. The optimization parameters were the RPM, selection of base airfoil profiles at 3, and the chord and twist distribution at 5 spanwise positions. The 2D lift and drag polars were provided by XFOIL and augmented with stall delay models before being extrapolated to 3600 • The power calculation process took into consideration the effects of wind shear and the windspeed probability density across a range of windspeeds. The BEM code was validated with QBlade, an open source wind turbine blade design tool. The NREL Unsteady Aerodynamics Experiment (UAE) Phase 6 rotor was used as the baseline rotor for adaptation to high and low wind conditions. The optimization scheme was able to identity design improvements that led to higher AEP, and pareto comparison of AEP and blade root bending moment of various design possibilities enabled the best design to be identified for each wind site.Master of Science (Mechanical Engineering