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Student research paper accepted to AIAA Student Conference

27 October 2024

Structural stress analysis of the turbine's blades
Structural stress analysis of the turbine's blades
Computational fluid dynamics analysis of a blade's profiled with a Gurney flap
Computational fluid dynamics analysis of a blade's profiled with a Gurney flap

A group of undergraduate students, including fourth year (MEng) aerospace and mechanical engineering students Milcha Masresha , Andrews Agyei , Raima Rahman, Omar Abdi, Aamna Abbasi and Imad Foughali, and third year aerospace student Hardit Saini, have successfully had their research paper on wind turbines accepted to the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Student Conference, taking place in Melbourne.

Their paper investigates the advantages of integrating a Gurney flap onto the blades of a small horizontal-axis wind turbine, using reduced-order modelling and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) data. The design is intended to enhance energy production for small-scale urban and rural users. The study revealed significant aerodynamic improvements with minimal additional structural load on the blades and a moderate increase in sound power, marking an innovative approach to boosting small wind turbine efficiency without major production line alterations.

This submission builds on previous research presented by MSc student Kiran Gadda at the 14th Wind Energy Society meeting in Southampton this September, where he shared insights on small airborne wind turbines. Last year, ResM student Mariana Avila-Zayas also presented at the AIAA Student Conference, showcasing the ongoing contributions of our students to wind energy advancements.

The MEng group project is part of our international collaboration with VIT Chennai, IIT Madras, and Deutsche WindGuard India, which is supported by the British Council and SPARC India. The UK team is led by Dr Avital, Dr Vepa, Dr Cagney, and Dr Chetehouna, highlighting the project teams' commitment to innovative and sustainable energy solutions at international level.

Contact:Eldad Avital
Email:e.avital@qmul.ac.uk
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