Abstract:
This research presents a comparison of the aerodynamic performance of the NACA 2412, NACA 4412, and NACA 6412 airfoils for wind turbine blade design in electricity generation. The analysis was conducted using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations, with all three airfoils tested under the same boundary conditions and mesh setup. The test angles of attack were 0°, 2°, 4°, 6°, 8°, and 10° at wind speeds of 3, 5, and 8 m/s, using the Realizable k-ε turbulence model in Ansys Fluent Version 2020R1. The analysis evaluated the Lift Coefficient (CL), Drag Coefficient (CD), and Lift-to-Drag Ratio (CL/CD), as well as the electrical power generated, which was calculated based on the lift coefficient, wind speed, and the swept area of the wind turbine.
The results showed that the NACA 4412 airfoil exhibited the best performance in terms of maximizing lift and minimizing drag at multiple angles of attack. It demonstrated a superior CL/CD ratio compared to the NACA 2412 and NACA 6412 airfoils. Furthermore, when calculating the electrical power generated using the lift coefficient at a wind speed of 3 m/s, the NACA 4412 was able to produce up to 6.5 MW of power. A comparison of the three airfoils revealed that the NACA 4412 is the most suitable for designing wind turbine blades for low wind speeds due to its ability to generate better lift and reduce drag more effectively than the other airfoils at low wind speeds.