The present article consists in the development of a new bench to measure the power curves of different wind turbine blades. The components were built and tested to assure adequate measurements and secure operation. The bench was used in the Wind Energy class of the Mechanical Engineering undergraduate and graduate programs. It allows the measurements of the power curves of different wind turbine blades. Using the blade element momentum method (BEM) to calculate the pitch angles and chord lengths, blades were manufactured and tested. The performance was determined by the power curves, which represent the power coefficient versus the tip speed ratio (lambda value). In the experiments, a 200 W fan generated an average wind speed of 3,8 m/s, measured with a portable anemometer. The tests were carried out with a two-bladed turbine, designed (S809 profile) on a 1:4 scale. These blades achieved a maximum performance coefficient of 20,57%. The performance curve was plotted, demonstrating the bench good adequacy to wind energy assessment projects.
wind energy; aerodynamics; power coefficient; blade element momentum theory
