Performance evaluation of the NACA 4415 airfoil as a model for small horizontal wind turbine blade design and operation in Iraq

Wind turbine blades are the most important part of a turbine, as they are the key for harnessing the wind energy. Choosing the appropriate blade design greatly affects the overall turbine efficiency and the efficient use of wind energy. The current research focuses on studying and analyzing the performance of the NACA 4415 airfoil and its use in the design and construction of small horizontal wind turbine blades and simulating their operation in different Iraqi environments. Small horizontal axis wind turbines are one of the most important applications for harnessing the wind energy. They are devices that convert the kinetic energy possessed by the wind into mechanical energy. After several operations and through several devices and accessories, it is converted into electrical energy. Wind speed has a significant impact on wind the turbine blades, performance and stability in general, and therefore the focus will be on studying the effect of wind speed and calculating and analyzing the drag (Cd) and lift (Cl) coefficients affecting the airfoil with different angles of attack (AOA), which range from (-14°) to (14°). To study, analyze, and simulate the NACA 4415 airfoil model, QBlade, Airfoil Information Tools, Excel, Solidworks and Ansys (Fluent) programs have been employed by working with the specialized programs mentioned above, and convergent results have been obtained indicating that the coefficient of lift (CL) and the coefficient of drag (CD) are affected by changing the angles of attack (AOA). It is possible to choose the appropriate airfoil to design appropriate turbine blades, and it has been confirmed that it is possible to use the NACA 4415 airfoil to design and build small wind turbine blades and benefit from them in different Iraqi environments as well as obtain good performance and continuous electrical energy from clean and renewable wind energy.