Blade linearization as a method of optimizing annual energy production and cost of energy of horizontal axis wind turbines

Abstract

Green energy cost has been in constant decline in the past two decades. Nevertheless, the cost of energy remains the obstacle towards sustainability. This paper presents a methodology for enhancing both the affordability and the manufacturability of horizontal-axis wind turbines without compromising on the aerodynamic performance. But rather combining the gains of an enhanced annual energy production and a reduced cost of energy, aiming to decrease the payback period of investment. The original blade configuration suggested by Blade Element Momentum theory is compared with three different blade configurations using Blade Element Momentum calculations as a preliminary step, then the best performing configuration is compared to the original configuration using Computational Fluid Dynamics modelling. The annual energy production for each configuration was calculated based on wind data from the site of design in West Nile, Al Minya, Egypt. The cost of energy of each turbine was estimated using recent market prices, while the payback period of investment was calculated using the local tariff, ensuring a consistent analysis. As a result, linearization resulted in a reduction of 9.25% in Cost of Energy accompanied by an increase of 1.48% in annual energy production. Consequently, the payback period of investment was decreased by 9.26%.