Multidisciplinary Design Optimization of Wind Turbine Using CFD Simulation

Information on this PhD research area can be found further down this page under the details about the Widening Participation Scholarship given immediately below.

Applications for this PhD research are welcomed from anyone worldwide but there is an opportunity for UK candidates (or eligible for UK fees) to apply for a widening participation scholarship.

Widening Participation Scholarship: Any UK candidates (or eligible for UK fees) is invited to apply. Our scholarships seek to increase participation from groups currently under-represented within research. A priority will be given to students that meet the widening participation criteria and to graduates of the University of Salford. For more information about widening participation, follow this link: https://www.salford.ac.uk/postgraduate-research/fees. [Scroll down the page until you reach the heading “PhD widening participation scholarships”.] Please note: we accept applications all year but the deadline for applying for the widening participation scholarships in 2024 is 28th March 2024. All candidates who wish to apply for the MPhil or PhD widening participation scholarship will first need to apply for and be accepted onto a research degree programme. As long as you have submitted your completed application for September/October 2024 intake by 28 February 2024 and you qualify for UK fees, you will be sent a very short scholarship application. This form must be returned by 28 March 2024. Applications received after this date must either wait until the next round or opt for the self-funded PhD route.

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Project description: Wind turbines play a crucial role in renewable energy harvesting. This technology provides zero carbon electrical power. Wind energy transformation into electricity requires efficient turbine blades. Turbine blade design is a multidisciplinary area which involves aerodynamics, structure, and vibration.  This research aims to use multidisciplinary design optimisation approach to achieve a novel blade profile. The research will begin with a detailed design of the wind turbine and the of this design will be conducted using multi-objective genetic algorithm and Computational Fluid Dynamic (CFD), Finite Element Analysis (FEA) and Fluid-Structure Interaction (FSI) to minimise the drag, stresses, and vibration at high-speed wind. The final blade geometry will be investigated experimentally for different wind speeds using the developed geometry.