Performance Prediction for Small Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine (HAWT) by Integrated Theory and Experimental Verifications

In this paper, a theoretical study on the performance of a small horizontal axis wind turbine (HAWT) is presented. This research aims to establish a reliable assessment platform for the small HAWT, upon which the design and dynamic analysis for turbine blades and axial-flux permanent magnet generator can be expediently carried out. The predicted results were verified by experiments undertaken in a wind tunnel as well as in outdoor environment. By adopting the model without involving any time-consuming computer simulations, various performance curves were obtained for different designs. Graphical user interface software implementing the proposed model has been developed to facilitate the performance assessment of the complete HAWT system. As a powerful and expedient tool, the developed software helps engineers effectively design a turbine system to be compatible with operation environment.