Modification of the NACA 63₂-415 leading edge for better aerodynamic performance

Double stall causes more than one power level when stall-regulated wind turbines operate in stall. This involves significant uncertainty on power production and loads. To avoid double stall, a new leading edge was designed for the NACA 632-415 airfoil, an airfoil that is often used in the tip region of wind turbines.

A numerical optimization tool incorporating XFOIL was used with a special formulation for the airfoil leading edge shape. The EllipSys2D CFD code was used to analyze the modified airfoil. In theory and in wind tunnel tests, the modified airfoil showed smooth and stable stall characteristics with no tendency to double stall.

Also, both theory and wind tunnel tests showed that the overall aerodynamic characteristics were similar to NACA 632-415 except for an increase in the lift-drag ratio below maximum lift and an increase in maximum lift. The wind tunnel tests showed that dynamic stall and aerodynamic damping characteristics for the modified airfoil and the NACA 632-415 airfoil were the same.

The modified airfoil with leading edge roughness in general had better characteristics compared with the NACA 632-415 airfoil. ©2002 ASME