Evaluating Novel Wind Energy Designs

This project will focus on creating a design and performance evaluation procedure for Cross Axis Wind Turbines (CAWTs) while also evaluating the use of other aerodynamic devices such as winglets and vortex generators on more established wind turbine designs. Using Computational Fluid Dynamics simulations and practical Wind Tunnel testing it will evaluate the effect of these design changes in both isolated turbine and farm contexts as previous research has shown that performance can be severely inhibited by poor farm design, and equally for Vertical Axis Wind Turbines (VAWTs) it can be significantly improved with good farm design. This will offer network providers substantial data to maximise efficiency, leading to higher energy output for lower costs, both for new projects and for retrofits of older turbines.

The sustainable energy industry is rapidly expanding as cost lowers and demand increases, particularly wind energy due to its high availability across the UK, a quality lacking in its closest competitor, solar. The outcomes of this research will have a significant impact on the capabilities of network providers for establishing the most efficient wind farms around the country and globally. The research will seek to improve the performance of current systems, and also investigate potentially viable alternatives to traditional Wind Turbine design.