CFD study of an airfoil for small wind turbine applications

Small horizontal axis wind turbines (HAWTs) can be used to produce power in areas where the wind conditions are not favorable or optimal for large HAWTs. A newly designed airfoil for use in small HAWTs was analyzed in CFD to predict the aerodynamic performance at various Reynolds numbers over a various angles of attack. The coefficient of lift and drag, CL and CD, and the pressure distribution over the airfoil was obtained. It was found that the airfoil could achieve very good aerodynamic characteristics. The results of the numerical analysis will be compared against experimental data for validation purposes.