MIME 3450

Energy Lab

Lab 2

Wind Energy

Section - 49C

Group Members:
Isaac Shaw
Kyle Stallings
Tyler Sullivan
Task 1: Calculate and tabulate Cp values

High Pitch Angle

Wind Speed (mph) Wind Angle (deg) Average Power (mW) Cp Value

11.612182 0.155042 21.57398 0.002579525

17.457528 0.158194 108.594463 0.003821294

21.013318 0.171405 183.490098 0.003702369

25.415472 0.169718 301.006486 0.003432672

25.369268 15.814135 253.6122 0.002908019

25.337577 31.662751 141.216839 0.001625332

 Low Pitch Angle

Wind Speed (mph) Wind Angle (deg) Average Power (mW) Cp Value

11.401305 0.290574 36.106328 0.004561111

16.059531 0.290911 143.600542 0.006490953

21.020882 0.275943 568.476893 0.011458057

25.49424 0.276977 805.783143 0.009104224

25.506322 15.707534 759.084042 0.008564407

25.485586 32.063675 527.118269 0.005961769

It can be seen that having a higher pitch angle will give out more power at a given wind
speed when comparing it to a lower pitch angle.
It can be seen from the graph that there is an optimal wind speed to get the greatest
power coefficient. By increasing the wind speed, it does not necessarily mean that the
power coefficient will increase, as well. A low pitch angle will increase the power
coefficient, also. The lower pitch angle shows a greater power output than the higher
pitch angle, in the previous graph, to go along with the higher power coefficient that the
low pitch angle has in this graph.
The power coefficient is almost two times higher at a low pitch angle. The power
coefficient decreases as the wind angle increases.

A lower pitch angle will have a higher minimal operating speed than that of a high pitch
angle.