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Machines
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Aerodynamic Analysis of Wind Turbine Blades
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Aerodynamic Analysis of Wind Turbine Blades

A special issue of Machines (ISSN 2075-1702). This special issue belongs to the section "Turbomachinery".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 28 February 2026 | Viewed by 1562

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Guowei Qian

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
School of Ocean Engineering and Technology, Sun Yat-sen University, Zhuhai 10275, China
Interests: wind turbine aerodynamics and wake effects; structural dynamics in wind turbines; wind farm control; offshore wind turbine
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Hang Meng

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Renewable Energy School, North China Electric Power University, Beijing 102206, China
Interests: wind turbines; blade structural dynamics; aeroelasticity

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,  

The global imperative for sustainable energy solutions has propelled wind power to the forefront, with continuous innovation driving the development of increasingly larger and more efficient wind turbines. The aerodynamic performance of these monumental structures, particularly their rotor blades, is paramount to maximizing energy capture, ensuring structural integrity, and mitigating environmental impact. Modern wind turbines operate under complex and highly unsteady conditions, encountering phenomena such as dynamic stall, intricate wake interactions within wind farms, and significant aeroelastic couplings. These challenges are further amplified by the unique operating regimes of next-generation, multi-megawatt turbines at high Reynolds numbers, necessitating advanced analytical and experimental methodologies. We seek original research and comprehensive review articles addressing the latest advancements in this critical domain.

This Special Issue encourages submissions that address, but are not limited to, the following topics:

  • Advanced computational fluid dynamics (CFD) applications
  • Refined engineering models
  • Unsteady aerodynamics and dynamic phenomena
  • Aeroelasticity and fluid–structure interaction (FSI)
  • Wind turbine wake dynamics
  • Aeroacoustics and noise reduction
  • Experimental methodologies and validation
  • Aerodynamic design and optimization

Dr. Guowei Qian
Dr. Hang Meng
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Machines is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • wind turbine aerodynamics
  • blade design
  • computational fluid dynamics (CFD)
  • aeroelasticity
  • wake dynamics
  • unsteady flow
  • experimental aerodynamics

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

21 pages, 5421 KB  
Article
Effects of Ultra-High Reynolds Number and Low Mach Number Compressibility on the Static Stall Behavior of a Wind Turbine Airfoil
by Zijian Zhang, Xiufeng Huang, Zijie Zhang, Zeling Zhu, Yingning Qiu, Tongguang Wang and Chengyong Zhu
Machines 2025, 13(9), 847; https://doi.org/10.3390/machines13090847 - 12 Sep 2025
Viewed by 319
Abstract
The increasing scale of wind turbines introduces significant aerodynamic challenges at ultra-high Reynolds numbers and under conditions of low Mach number compressibility. The stall behavior, flow separation, and boundary layer transition are all significantly changed by these characteristics. However, wind tunnel testing cannot [...] Read more.
The increasing scale of wind turbines introduces significant aerodynamic challenges at ultra-high Reynolds numbers and under conditions of low Mach number compressibility. The stall behavior, flow separation, and boundary layer transition are all significantly changed by these characteristics. However, wind tunnel testing cannot concurrently satisfy Re-Ma similarity, and current design frameworks ignore their associated impacts, leading to a great deal of uncertainty in load prediction and power efficiency for next-generation turbines. To bridge this gap, we utilize high-fidelity CFD simulations combined with parametric scaling to develop a novel size-based decoupling technique. With Re and Ma independently controlled by changing chord length and freestream velocity, the FFA-W3-211 airfoil is used as the benchmark. Static stall prediction accuracy is confirmed by validations against the wind-tunnel experimental data of S809 and VR-7B airfoils. The results show that the influence of a high Reynolds number markedly postpones flow separation and enhances pressure distribution, delaying the onset of stall. In contrast, the effect of a high Mach number hastens flow separation and deteriorates pressure distribution due to shock-induced separation, leading to an earlier occurrence of stall. For angles of attack lower than 12°, the influence of the Reynolds number prevails, effectively counteracting the negative impacts of the Mach number. For angles of attack greater than 12°, the two effects combine to raise the risk of flow instability considerably. This study focuses on independently analyzing the effects of the Reynolds and Mach numbers on the stall behaviors of wind turbine airfoils. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Aerodynamic Analysis of Wind Turbine Blades)
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18 pages, 4099 KB  
Article
Numerical Study of the Effect of Unsteady Aerodynamic Forces on the Fatigue Load of Yawed Wind Turbines
by Dereje Haile Hirgeto, Guo-Wei Qian, Xuan-Yi Zhou and Wei Wang
Machines 2025, 13(7), 607; https://doi.org/10.3390/machines13070607 - 15 Jul 2025
Viewed by 1004
Abstract
The intentional yaw offset of wind turbines has shown potential to redirect wakes, enhancing overall plant power production, but it may increase fatigue loading on turbine components. This study analyzed fatigue loads on the NREL 5 MW reference wind turbine under varying yaw [...] Read more.
The intentional yaw offset of wind turbines has shown potential to redirect wakes, enhancing overall plant power production, but it may increase fatigue loading on turbine components. This study analyzed fatigue loads on the NREL 5 MW reference wind turbine under varying yaw offsets using blade element momentum theory, dynamic blade element momentum, and the converging Lagrange filaments vortex method, all implemented in OpenFAST. Simulations employed yaw angles from −40° to 40°, with turbulent inflow generated by TurbSim, an OpenFAST tool for realistic wind conditions. Fatigue loads were calculated according to IEC 61400-1 design load case 1.2 standards, using thirty simulations per yaw angle across five wind speed bins. Damage equivalent load was evaluated via rainflow counting, Miner’s rule, and Goodman correction. Results showed that the free vortex method, by modeling unsteady aerodynamic forces, yielded distinct differences in damage equivalent load compared to the blade element method in yawed conditions. The free vortex method predicted lower damage equivalent load for the low-speed shaft bending moment at negative yaw offsets, attributed to its improved handling of unsteady effects that reduce load variations. Conversely, for yaw offsets above 20°, the free vortex method indicated higher damage equivalent for low-speed shaft torque, reflecting its accurate capture of dynamic inflow and unsteady loading. These findings highlight the critical role of unsteady aerodynamics in fatigue load predictions and demonstrate the free vortex method’s value within OpenFAST for realistic damage equivalent load estimates in yawed turbines. The results emphasize the need to incorporate unsteady aerodynamic models like the free vortex method to accurately assess yaw offset impacts on wind turbine component fatigue. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Aerodynamic Analysis of Wind Turbine Blades)
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