Oscillating-Wing Power Generator

Abstract

Numerical and experimental methods are described for the investigation of an oscillating-wing generator or wingmill. The numerical approach applies a previously developed, unsteady, incompressible panel method incorporating a non-linear, deforming wake model to compute the unsteady flow about an airfoil undergoing specified pitch and plunge motions. An experimental model is described which can duplicate much of the parameter-space available to the panel method. Numerical results are presented demonstrating configurations that yield high efficiencies. Results are compared to the wingmill experiments of McKinney and DeLaurier.