2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

This paper introduces an integrated educational toolkit developed to enhance learning in wind turbine blade design and analysis. It integrates fundamental principles, numerical simulations, computer-aided design (CAD), and experimental validation using a small-scale wind turbine simulator. The curriculum begins with an overview of wind turbine blade theories, covering essential aerodynamic principles of airfoils. Then, an open-source software QBlade, is employed to perform numerical simulations for analysis of airfoil performance under various conditions. A CAD model is designed using Rhino, a surface modelling software, which is fabricated using 3D printing, enabling hands-on design exploration and iteration. For the final phase, students test their designs on the wind turbine demonstrator. The wind turbine demonstrator comprises of a 300-mm diameter 3-bladed rotor that is allowed to operate at maximum of 4000 rpm under air flow up to 24 mph. The air streams through a 400-m diameter metal channel and it is supplied by a 1500-W heavy duty fan. This demonstrator can produce realistic curves of the power coefficient (Cp) as a function of the tip speed ratio (TSR), simulating real-world conditions by varying wind speed, turbine speed, pitch angle, and yaw angle. This integrated approach provides students with an integrated understanding of wind turbine blade design, from theoretical foundations to advanced simulation and practical application, fostering deeper engagement in renewable energy and equipping them with broader industry-relevant skills. The course development has been sponsored by the State University of New York (SUNY) Clean Energy Workforce Opportunity Program. The hands-on lab activities provide students with understanding of important aspects of wind energy conversion and turbine blade designs.