Currently, it is difficult to determine wind speed or power output for a proposed wind turbine without on-site wind speed data and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis software. Our Major Qualifying Project is to analyze the results from SolidWorks’s Flow Simulation package and the data that was collected from a custom designed and manufactured wind turbine test rig. To do this, air was rotated through modeled wind turbine blades in the CFD simulations. We found there is a constant ratio between the slopes of the free-spinning and max power RPM trend lines of the blades. On-site, an anemometer collected local wind speeds while a free spinning wind turbine test rig measured the RPM. We found that a lighter wind turbine is more efficient because of a faster spool up time.

• This report represents the work of one or more WPI undergraduate students submitted to the faculty as evidence of completion of a degree requirement. WPI routinely publishes these reports on its website without editorial or peer review.

Creator

• He, Harrison Y
• Moore, Charlotte Elizabeth
• Wallach, Theodore Chesler
• Hunt, Alan James

Publisher

• Worcester Polytechnic Institute

Identifier

• E-project-042318-191233

Advisor

• Hall, John R.
• Planchard, David C.

Year

• 2018

Date created

• 2018-04-23

Resource type

• Major Qualifying Project

Major

• Mechanical Engineering

Rights statement

• In Copyright

Last modified

• 2021-02-01