Investigation of the NREL NASA/Ames Wind Turbine Aerodynamics Database

The original purpose of the project was to compare two-dimensional and three-dimensional behaviour of aerodynamic coefficients on wind turbines. Because of missing information in the database, the angle of attack distribution (AD) must first be calculated. The probes that were attached to the leading edge on one of the two blades were expected to lead to the AD. This was shown to be a difficult task. Three different attempts were made to calculate the AD. Since low angles of attack follow two-dimensional patterns, the AD could be calculated. The interesting area at high angles of attack, where the three-dimensional effects are strong, could not be evaluated. For all similar experiments, the velocity of the air that passes through the turbine must be measured. Then the AD along a blade can easily be calculated.