Adaptive Flow Control of Wind Turbine Blade Using Microtabs with Unsteady Aerodynamic Loads

A study of vibration suppression of a rotating wind turbine blade with unsteady aerodynamic loads and trailing-edge Microtabs was made. The focus is on the aeroelastic dynamics of the spinning blade with dynamic loads, the closed-loop experiments with Adaptive Controller using small-size, energy-efficient, fast-response actuation, Microtabs, and stability analysis. The experimental results reveal good performance of Adaptive Controller as well as confirming the usefulness of Microtabs as an effective tool for active flow control of a wind turbine blade. The stability of the designed controller is also proved by Adaptive Stability Theorem, which is also demonstrated via each wind velocity case.