Title: M2L2 Glossary
Course: WIND 100WH Introduction to Wind Energy > Section: WIND 100WH Introduction to Wind Energy

M2L2 Glossary

Terms

Term | Definitions
Aerodynamic/s | the science that deals with the motion of air and how it reacts with objects. It is also the property of something being designed using aerodynamic science.
airfoil | the shell shape designed to produce aerodynamic lift
angle | a change in position or a deviation from a particular path commonly given in terms of radians or degrees.
angle of attack | the angle in which wind strikes the turbine blade.
blade | the wing-like component that produces lift when air moves across it.
blade length | determines how much wind power can be captured, according to the swept area of the rotor
blade pitch | the position or location of the blade with respect to the incoming wind
blade pitch control | used to adjust the blades so the wind turbine is able to harvest the maximum amount of energy for different wind speeds
blade profile | the cross-sectional cut-away shape of a blade’s airfoil shape.
blade root | the innermost part of blade on a HAWT. This is where the blade attaches to the hub.
blade tip | the outermost part of blade on a HAWT.
blade twist | tips twisted further than at the root to improve the blade efficiency (from 10-20 degrees from root to tip)
closed-loop control | the use of feedback sensors in a system to control operations without the need for constant outside intervention
drag | losses or opposition to movement due to the effects of aerodynamic losses.
furling | when the blade's pitch is changed to the point at which it begins to stall
HAWT | Horizontal-Axis Wind Turbine, the dominant form of wind turbine in current use
lift | the property of airfoils or similar shapes to rise up relative to their direction of movement when moving through air.
lift-to-drag ratio | ratio the relationship between an airfoil's lift and its aerodynamic drag (a resistance to movement through the air)
planform shape | the blade gets narrower towards the tip to maintain a constant slowing effect across the swept area.
pressure | the forces pressing inward or outward from, or within, an object.
rotational speed | the speed of a rotating device given in RPM or radians per second.
speed | a condition when an airfoil or blade is at an angle where it no longer generates enough lift to overcome drag
swept area | the area the wind turbine blade conversion a HAWT’s rotor.
tip speed | the angular speed of a blade tip, a useful measurement for designing durable, quiet, and efficient turbines.
VAWT (Vertical-Axis Wind Turbines) | Sometimes used for small-scale, residential power; rarely used for commercial power.
velocity | speed and direction