Aerodynamic Design for Colorado Wind Farms

Overview

This project evaluates the technical and economic feasibility of a wind farm in Colorado, utilizing ANSYS Mechanical and Fluent for CFD and FEA of 1.5 MW GE wind turbines. The design optimizes a 15-meter rotor for high altitude atmospheric conditions, identifying a 4° pitch as the ideal configuration for maximizing power output. Structural analysis utilizing WT_Perf confirms a peak von-Mises stress of 26.6 MPa, validating that the turbine can safely handle mechanical loads while producing energy at a cost of 0.503 cents/kWh.