Active circulation control of aerodynamic structures

摘要

Active Circulation Control (ACC) of aerodynamic structures, such as a turbine blade, uses unsteady or oscillatory flow from either synthetic jets or pulsed jets to modify a velocity profile of the blade. The blade includes an opening disposed in a surface of the blade at a location proximate to a trailing edge, a leading edge, or both the trailing edge and the leading edge of the blade. An active flow control device in fluid communication with the opening produces a wall-jet of pulsed fluid that flows over the trailing edge, the leading edge, or both the trailing and leading edges of the blade and modify the velocity profile of the blade.

主权项

1. A wind turbine comprising:
a wind turbine blade comprising
an opening disposed in an outer surface of the wind turbine blade proximate a curved trailing edge of the wind turbine blade, andactive flow control devices disposed in the wind turbine blade and in fluid communication with the opening and configured for producing unsteady wall-jets of pulsed fluid that flows over the curved trailing edge, wherein the unsteady wall-jets of pulsed fluid comprise velocities and frequencies sufficient to adjust the overall lift of the wind turbine blade; and a control system for providing active flow control instructions to the active flow control devices that vary with respect to changing wind speeds, changing structural loads of the wind turbine, or combinations thereof, wherein the active flow control instructions comprise modifying the velocity of the pulsed jets and selectively activating available ones of the active flow control devices.