Aerodynamic Design and Optimization of a High-Lift Device for a Wind Turbine Airfoil

Under the framework of the BMWi funded Smart Blades project, concerned with the development of intelligent wind turbine rotor blades, the design and numerical optimization of a leading edge slat for the DU 91-W2-250 airfoil, included in the Smart Blades reference blade, have been accomplished. Two different design cases were investigated: an integrated slat and a superimposed one. The position and shape of both slats were optimized, fulfilling in both cases the objective of improving their aerodynamic performance in terms of stall delay and efficiency. In comparison to the original airfoil, the improvement in aerodynamic performance achieved by the implementation of a leading edge slat provides a glimpse of the potential benefit of using these devices in wind turbine blades.