Evaluation of the Geometric Configuration of Horizontal Axis Wind Turbines Applied to a Packing House.

Wind turbines are considered a great option for power generation in rural areas and isolated regions that have an abundance of wind. However, such generation can be increased by optimizing the blades. Through this resource, commercial farms and small communities can acquire more comfort and economy. Based on this situation, a study was conducted in which a numerical code based on the lifting line theory was used to investigate different airfoils and analyze the linearization of chord and twist angle distributions in a small horizontal axis wind turbine to determine the most suitable configuration for obtaining an annual energy production of 32.2 MWh/year in a packing house located in the rural area of Petrolina-PE (Brazil). From the results, the geometric configuration that presents the adequate energy demand with lower local efforts was obtained by using the Joukowsky 6.3% airfoil and linearizing the chord and twist angle with maximum values of 0.4 m and 7°, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]