An Investigation of Design and Simulation of Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine Using QBlade

Abstract

The wind turbine blade design is important in obtaining an effective wind turbine. In the field of wind energy, it is essential to understand the design and parameters affecting the blades of the wind turbine in order to obtain a successful design. However, most of the parameters are dependent on each other and this makes the design of wind turbines a challenging task. This research paper used the QBlade software to analyze and optimize the behavior of the small horizontal axis wind turbine. The software applies the Blade Element Momentum Theory (BEM) to study the wind turbine blades by calculating the drag and lift coefficients which were achieved by dividing the blades into 10 ascending segments. The twist angle and chord length of the blade are optimized to get the highest performance. Among the various airfoil types, the SG-6041 airfoil type was selected to build the blade structure. The calculated power coefficient was almost 0.4, which is considered high given that it was calculated under 10 m/s average wind speed and 1-meter length blade conditions. Where all the results are logical and reasonable, the software is proven to be reliable. The paper also evaluates the wind characteristics in different locations in Iraq in order to find the most optimal promising locations in Iraq.