Experimental Aerodynamic Performance of the SG6043 Airfoil with Flow Control Devices

As the society energy demands continues to grow, it is increasingly important to improve the exploitation of renewable energy sources, such as wind energy. The strategies outlined in the literature show that there is an interest to enhance small-scale wind turbine performance. Small-scale wind turbines have been successfully installed in remote areas with no access to the electricity grids, and in distributed generation grids. To maximize the energy produced by wind turbines it is important to select the correct airfoil. The aerodynamic performance of a wind turbine is directly related to its energy production. This study aims at providing a complete experimental analysis on the SG6043 airfoil. The objective is to evaluate the aerodynamic behaviour of the proposed airfoil in 2D models, incorporating flow control devices such as flaps, vortex generators, and microtabs. Multiple tests have been run on the modified models of the airfoil in a wind tunnel. These tests aim to compare the drag and lift forces and the aerodynamic performance across all airfoil models. The analysis shown promising results as one of modifications reach up to 35% of dynamic performance increase compared to the nonmodified airfoil.