Advanced Materials Research Online: 2014-06-25

ISSN: 1662-8985, Vols. 971-973, pp 569-572

Lift Performance of Wind Turbine with Blade Tip Loss

Haibo Jiang
Logistics College, Naval University of Engineering, Tianjin 300450, China
[email protected]

Keywords: wind turbine, the lift coefficient, blade tip loss, blade element-momentum theory

Abstract: Blade tip losses would reduce lift and power of wind turbine. This paper analyzed the
mechanism of tip losses, and according to Prandtl and Glauert tip loss correction factor and blade
element - momentum theory derived the blade chord formula with tip losses. Further, lift coefficient
calculation formula was obtained by integrating along the blade span. The lift coefficient formula
considering tip loss expressed the highest value of lift coefficient of any practical wind turbine with
tip losses. The research shows, the impacts of tip losses to chord concentrated in the tip area; tip losses
will reduce the lift coefficient about 2 to 6 percent when tip speed ratio changes from 10 to 4.

Introduction
Momentum theory assumes that number of wind turbine blades is infinite, so the air particles
flowing through the turbine interact with the blades. But the number of blades of actual wind turbine
is finite, so some particles flowing through the turbine interact with the blade, and others will pass
through the gap between the blades. If the induction speed at the blade is large, then wind inflow angle
will be very small, which will reduce the tangential component of the lift and generate power loss.
This paper will give the calculation method of lift performance of wind turbine with considering the
impact of the finite blades.

Basic relationships
First we investigate the action of the wind and the blade force state in wind turbine steady
operation state. If the blade was cut with concentric cylinder, the cutting surface position is A-A
section shown in Fig. 1. A blade element dr taken at a radius r (the A-A position) is shown in Fig. 2.
The meaning of the symbols in the Fig.2 is defined as follows.
dLw dL
ϕ
β
Rotation plane

A
r

R ϕ v
w α dLu
dDu
u ϕ
dDw dD

Fig. 1. Schematic diagram of wind turbine Fig. 2. Wind speed state and force analysis of the
impeller in downwind direction blade element at A-A section in Fig.1
ω is the rotation angular speed of the wind turbine (blade element dr upward along the rotation
plane). W is the relative speed, W = ωr. b is the tangential speed induction factor, and a is the axial
speed induction factor. U is the absolute speed of wind, and u is the axial speed through the blade, u =
(1-a)U. w is the synthetic speed of the relative speed W and the tangential speed of induction bW, w =
(1 + b) W. v is the synthetic speed of u and w. α is the attack angle of speed v. dL is the lift of the blade

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570 New Technologies for Engineering Research and Design in Industry

element, dLw is the circumferential component of lift dL, and dLu is the horizontal component of the
lift dL. dD is the drag of the blade element, consistent with the direction of v, dDw is the
circumferential component of the drag dD, and dDu is the horizontal component of the drag dD.
For blade tip losses, Prandtl gave an approximate correction method [1], the correction factor
improved by Glauert is [2]
2   B (1 − x ) λ 2 x 2  
f = arccos exp  − 1 + t 2 
π   2x (1 − a )  
(1)
Where B is the number of blades, λt is tip speed ratio, x is the relative radial, x = r/R.
For the wind turbine with limited blades, the average axial speed induction factor is[2]
1 1 1
a= + f − 1− f + f 2
3 3 3 (2)
The average tangential speed induction factor is

b=
(
a 1− a f )
λt 2 x 2 (3)
The local axial speed induction factor of the particles interacting with the blades is
aB = a f (4)
The local tangential speed induction factor is

bB = b f =
a 1− a f( )
λt 2 x 2 f (5)
The curves of some parameter are shown in Figure 3 (assuming λt = 7).
As can be seen from Figure 3, the tip losses occur only in localized parts of the tip; the average
axial speed induction factor is reduced to 0 at the tip, but the local axial speed induction factor aB
increases, which will generate huge impacts on inflow angle, lift and other parameters. Obviously the
average induction speed factors a and b are used to calculate lift, thrust, torque and other parameters
according to the momentum theory, while the local induction speed factors aB and bB are used to
calculate according to the blade element theory.
To simplify expressions, ( 1 − a f ) is represented by the symbol g, ie
g = 1− a f (6)
The inflow speed of the wind is
2 2
v = w2 + u 2 = (1 + bB )
2 2
W 2 + (1 − aB ) U 2 = (1 + b f ) λ 2U 2 + (1 − a f ) U 2
2


=U λ +
(
a 1− a f  

a )
2

+ 1 −  = U  λ +
ag 
2
2
 +g
 λf   f   λf 
  (7)
The sine and cosine expressions of the inflow angle are
u (1 − aB ) U g
sin ϕ = = =
v 
2 2
ag  2  ag  2
U λ +  +g λ +  +g
 λf   λf 
(8)
ag
λ+
w (1 + bB ) λU λf
cos ϕ = = =
v 
2 2
ag  2  ag  2
U λ +  +g λ +  +g
 λ f   λ f  (9)
 Advanced Materials Research Vols. 971-973 571

Chord curve
From Figure 2 and expressions (7), (8) and (9), we can get the thrust of the blade element
1 1
d T = d Lu + d Du = d L cos ϕ + d D sin ϕ = ρ CCL v 2 cos ϕ d r + ρ CCD v 2 sin ϕ d r
2 2
ag
 2
 λ+  2

1 ag  λf 1 ag  g
= ρU 2CCL  λ +  +g 
2
d r + ρU 2CCD  λ +  + g2  dr
2  λf    ag 
2 2 
  λ f  
  ag 
2
2 2
λ +  +g λ +  +g
 λ f   λ f 
2
1  ag    ag 
= ρU 2C  λ +  CL + gCD   λ +
2
 + g dr
2  λ f    λ f  (10)
According to the momentum theory[3,4], the wind thrust to the ring disc of radius r to r + dr is
d T = 4πρU 2 a 1 − a rdr ( ) (11)
Considering the number of blades is B, the chord C is obtained by two equations (10) and (11)
C 8π
=
a 1− a ( )x
R B  
2
ag   ag  2
 λt x +  CL + gCD   λt x +  +g
 λt xf    λt xf 
(12)

Lift performance
According to Figure 2 and formula (7), (8) and (9), the lift of the blade element is
1 1
d F = d L sin ϕ − d D cos ϕ = ρ CCL v 2 sin ϕ d r − ρ CCD v 2 cos ϕ d r
2 2
2
1   ag    ag 
= ρU 2C  gCL −  λ +  CD   λ +
2
 + g dr
2   λ f    λ f  (13)
By formula (12) and (13), the lift coefficient of wind turbine with B blades is
2 2
B 1   ag    ag  B C    ag    ag  r
∫ ρU 2C  gCL −  λ +  + g d r = ∫R   ⋅  gCL −  λ +
2 2
CF =
1  CD   λ +  CD   λ +  + g d 
ρU 2π R 2
R 2
  λ f    λ f  π  R    λ f    λ f  R
2
  ag  
( 
)
8a 1 − a x  gCL −  λt x +
λt xf
 CD 
1
   
=∫ dx
0  ag 
 λt x +  CL + gCD
 λt xf 
(14)
Let drag coefficient equals to 0, the maximum lift coefficient could be obtained
CF = ∫
1 (
8 ga 1 − a x ) dx
0  ag 
 λt x + 
 λt xf  (15)
The formula (15) is the maximum value of lift coefficient of practical wind turbine with tip losses.
For ideal wind turbine, tip losses could be Ignored, then according to formula (1) to (6), f=1, a=1/3,
and g=2/3. From formula (15), we obtain lift coefficient of ideal wind turbine (no tip loss):
2 1  1
8 ⋅ ⋅ ⋅ 1 −  x
3 3  3
1 32  3λ 
CF max =∫ dx= 2 
3λt − 2 arctan t 
0 1 2 1 81λ  2
λt x + ⋅ ⋅ t
3 3 λt x (16)
The lift coefficient curve of the ideal wind turbine is shown in Figure 4, and the points in Figure 4
are the numerical integration results according to equation (15), and some data are shown in table.
572 New Technologies for Engineering Research and Design in Industry

Table Maximum theoretical values of lift coefficient of ideal and practical wind turbine
theoretical values of lift coefficient
tip speed ratio λt Lift loss percent
No tip loss Consider tip loss
4 0.246 0.231 5.905
5 0.204 0.195 4.616
6 0.174 0.168 3.778
7 0.152 0.147 3.194
8 0.135 0.131 2.764
9 0.121 0.118 2.435
10 0.110 0.108 2.176
It can be judged from the table that tip losses will reduce the lift coefficient about 2 to 6% when tip
speed ratio changes from 10 to 4. The lift coefficient theoretical values (considering tip loss) and
formula (15) expressed the highest value of lift coefficient of any practical wind turbine.

Conclusion
(1) The chord formula considering blade tip loss was obtained, and the impacts of tip losses
concentrated in the tip area.
(2) The lift coefficient formula considering blade tip loss has been obtained, which is the highest
value of lift coefficient of any practical wind turbine.
(3) Tip loss reduces lift coefficient about 2 to 6% when tip speed ratio changes from 10 to 4.

Acknowledgement
This research was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China
(Grant No. 51375489).

References
[1]Prandtl L, Tietjens O G. Applied hydro and aeromechanics. Dover Publications, 1957.
[2]Tony Burton, David Sharpe, Nick Jenkins, Ervin Bossanyi. Wind Energy Handbook. John Wiley
& Sons Ltd,2005
[3]Martin O L Hansen .Aerodynamics of Wind Turbines(2nd ed). Beijing: China electric power press,
2009.
[4]He Dexin. Wind Engineering and Industry Aerodynamics. National Defense Industry Press, 2006,
Beijing, China.