An Innovative Design of a Microtab Deployment Mechanism for Active Aerodynamic Load Control
This study presents an innovative design of a microtab system for aerodynamic load control on horizontal-axis wind-turbine rotors. Microtabs are small devices located near the trailing edge of the rotor blades and enable a rapid increase or decrease of the lift force through deployment of the tabs o...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2015-06-01
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| Series: | Energies |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/8/6/5885 |
| _version_ | 1798035282255151104 |
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| author | Kuo-Chang Tsai Cheng-Tang Pan Aubryn M. Cooperman Scott J. Johnson C. P. van Dam |
| author_facet | Kuo-Chang Tsai Cheng-Tang Pan Aubryn M. Cooperman Scott J. Johnson C. P. van Dam |
| author_sort | Kuo-Chang Tsai |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This study presents an innovative design of a microtab system for aerodynamic load control on horizontal-axis wind-turbine rotors. Microtabs are small devices located near the trailing edge of the rotor blades and enable a rapid increase or decrease of the lift force through deployment of the tabs on the pressure or suction side of the airfoil, respectively. The new system has been designed to replace an earlier linearly-actuated microtab mechanism whose performance was limited by space restrictions and stiction. The newly-designed microtab system is based on a four-bar linkage that overcomes the two drawbacks. Its improved kinematics allows for the tab height to increase from 1.0% to 1.7% of the airfoil chord when fully deployed, thereby making it more effective in terms of aerodynamic load control. Furthermore, the modified four-bar link mechanism provides a more robust and reliable mechanical structure. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-11T20:56:02Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-ee850f3ac09542bb8a4ff897f93060ba |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1996-1073 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-11T20:56:02Z |
| publishDate | 2015-06-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Energies |
| spelling | doaj.art-ee850f3ac09542bb8a4ff897f93060ba2022-12-22T04:03:41ZengMDPI AGEnergies1996-10732015-06-01865885589710.3390/en8065885en8065885An Innovative Design of a Microtab Deployment Mechanism for Active Aerodynamic Load ControlKuo-Chang Tsai0Cheng-Tang Pan1Aubryn M. Cooperman2Scott J. Johnson3C. P. van Dam4Department of Mechanical & Electro-Mechanical Engineering, National Sun Yat-sen University, No. 70 Lien-hai Rd., Kaohsiung 80424, TaiwanDepartment of Mechanical & Electro-Mechanical Engineering, National Sun Yat-sen University, No. 70 Lien-hai Rd., Kaohsiung 80424, TaiwanDepartment of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, University of California - Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USADepartment of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, University of California - Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USADepartment of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, University of California - Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USAThis study presents an innovative design of a microtab system for aerodynamic load control on horizontal-axis wind-turbine rotors. Microtabs are small devices located near the trailing edge of the rotor blades and enable a rapid increase or decrease of the lift force through deployment of the tabs on the pressure or suction side of the airfoil, respectively. The new system has been designed to replace an earlier linearly-actuated microtab mechanism whose performance was limited by space restrictions and stiction. The newly-designed microtab system is based on a four-bar linkage that overcomes the two drawbacks. Its improved kinematics allows for the tab height to increase from 1.0% to 1.7% of the airfoil chord when fully deployed, thereby making it more effective in terms of aerodynamic load control. Furthermore, the modified four-bar link mechanism provides a more robust and reliable mechanical structure.http://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/8/6/5885wind turbine rotoraerodynamic load controlmicrotabfour-bar linkage |
| spellingShingle | Kuo-Chang Tsai Cheng-Tang Pan Aubryn M. Cooperman Scott J. Johnson C. P. van Dam An Innovative Design of a Microtab Deployment Mechanism for Active Aerodynamic Load Control Energies wind turbine rotor aerodynamic load control microtab four-bar linkage |
| title | An Innovative Design of a Microtab Deployment Mechanism for Active Aerodynamic Load Control |
| title_full | An Innovative Design of a Microtab Deployment Mechanism for Active Aerodynamic Load Control |
| title_fullStr | An Innovative Design of a Microtab Deployment Mechanism for Active Aerodynamic Load Control |
| title_full_unstemmed | An Innovative Design of a Microtab Deployment Mechanism for Active Aerodynamic Load Control |
| title_short | An Innovative Design of a Microtab Deployment Mechanism for Active Aerodynamic Load Control |
| title_sort | innovative design of a microtab deployment mechanism for active aerodynamic load control |
| topic | wind turbine rotor aerodynamic load control microtab four-bar linkage |
| url | http://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/8/6/5885 |
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