Numerical assessment of a deformable trailing-edge flap on aerodynamic load control of a pitching S809 airfoil using OpenFOAM

Due to the unsteady nature of the flow around horizontal-axis wind turbines, the blades are subjected to severe unsteady and fatigue loads. This necessitates an in-depth aerodynamic analysis of flow control techniques to enhance the performance of a wind turbine as well as the lifetime of its components. Using OpenFOAM package in this study, a series of two-dimensional incompressible simulations are performed to present a deeper insight into the aerodynamic characteristics of an oscillating deformable trailing-edge flap, as a promising flow control device, in a sinusoidal pitching motion of an S809 airfoil. Herein, it is of particular interest to investigate the effects of deformable trailing-edge flap size, oscillation frequency, and the phase shift with reference to airfoil motion on lift and drag hysteresis loops. For this purpose, a pure-pitching motion of an S809 airfoil without flap deflection is considered as the benchmark problem in which the airfoil oscillates in the near-stall region at. After validation and verification of our simulations through comparison against the corresponding experimental and numerical work, a comprehensive investigation is conducted to study the effects of the aforementioned parameters on the aerodynamic loads. Our results reveal the fact that an out-of-phase deflection of the deformable trailing-edge flap with a frequency equal to the airfoil frequency can significantly mitigate the fatigue load. Under these circumstances, an increase in the deformable trailing-edge flap size can also help the airfoil experience less-severe loads in a cycle of motion. Furthermore, higher values of deformable trailing-edge flap frequency or other values of phase shift except the out-of-phase oscillation cannot alleviate fatigue loads. An airfoil under these conditions can, however, enhance the resultant load required for a blade rotation in the case of low wind periods.