Computational Investigation of Finite Width Microtabs for Aerodynamic Load Control

Abstract

The use of deployable microtabs on wind turbine blades has been proposed for the purpose of active load control. A great deal of two-dimensional wind tunnel testing and CFD simulation has already been conducted to study the effects of tabs on the aerodynamic performance characteristics of airfoil sections. This paper presents a literature survey of existing studies that have looked at the effects of introducing gaps and serrations to the tabs. Such treatments are found to allow modulation of the lift enhancing properties of the tab. Three-dimensional Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes calculations of various tabgap configurations applied to an airfoil are described, and results are presented. The relationship between tab solidity ratio and increments in lift is found to be highly linear. Such a relationship could be significant for the development of future microtab deployment systems.