Albatros Create: an interactive and generative tool for the design and 3D modeling of wind turbines with wavy leading edge

The shape of a wind turbine blade plays a critical role in the efficiency and robustness of energy production. In particular, the Wavy Leading Edge is a morphology that can be implemented in the blades to improve the operating range in unsteady conditions. The best performance is achieved by fine-tu...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:International journal on interactive design and manufacturing 2020-06, Vol.14 (2), p.631-650, Article 631
Main Authors: Arias-Rosales, Andrés, Osorio-Gómez, Gilberto
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Airfoil profiles
CAE) and Design
Computer-Aided Engineering (CAD
Design
Design optimization
Efficiency
Electronics and Microelectronics
Engineering
Engineering Design
Geometry
Industrial Design
Instrumentation
Leading edges
Mechanical Engineering
Modelling
Morphology
Original Paper
Parameterization
Rotors
Software
Three dimensional models
Turbine blades
Turbines
Virtual prototyping
Visualization
Wind turbines
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Summary:The shape of a wind turbine blade plays a critical role in the efficiency and robustness of energy production. In particular, the Wavy Leading Edge is a morphology that can be implemented in the blades to improve the operating range in unsteady conditions. The best performance is achieved by fine-tuning the blade geometry to the specific context. An aerodynamic exploration of these kinds of morphologies implies generating and evaluating design iterations. Accordingly, this work presents the development of the generative tool Albatros Create ® . Through interactive visualization, infographics, and centralized parameterization, its goal is to support the geometrical definition of the aerodynamic surfaces of horizontal-axis turbines with or without a wavy leading edge. New airfoil profiles can be created, and 3D models of the rotors designed can be automatically generated. The software was implemented in the design of two rotors which were then recreated in a benchmarking analysis with four other softwares. None of the four managed to generate the smooth surfaces in fully-editable models that were achieved with Albatros Create. This work aims at empowering the research community with a user-friendly tool for exploring rotor designs through virtual prototypes. This can help to integrate further the design, modeling, and optimization stages, addressing a wider audience and facilitating the implementation of Wavy Leading Edge morphologies.
ISSN:1955-2513
1955-2505
1955-2505
DOI:10.1007/s12008-020-00655-y