Investigation of horizontal-axis wind turbine (HAWT) blade three-dimensional rotational e?ect based on ?eld experiments?

Field experiments are performed on a two-bladed 33 kW horizontal-axis wind turbine (HAWT). The pressures are measured with 191 pressure sensors positioned around the surfaces of seven spanwise section airfoils on one of the two blades. Three-dimensional (3D) and two-dimensional (2D) numerical simulations are performed, respectively, on the rotor and the seven airfoils of the blade. The results are compared with the experimental results of the pressure distribution on the seven airfoils and the lift coe?cients. The 3D rotational e?ect on the blade aerodynamic characteristics is then studied with a numerical approach. Finally, some conclusions are drawn as follows. From the tip to the root of the blade, the experimental di?erential pressure of the blade section airfoil increases at ?rst and then decreases gradually. The calculated 3D result of the pressure distribution on the blade surface is closer to that of the experiment than the 2D result. The 3D rotational e?ect has a signi?cant impact on the blade surface ?ow and the aerodynamic load, leading to an increase of the di?erential pressure on the airfoils and their lift coe?cient than that with the 2D one because of the stall delay. The in?uence of the 3D rotational e?ect on the wind turbine blade especially takes place on the sections with ?ow separation.