Aerodynamic Simulation Training Course for Wind Turbine Engineers (Online / Remote)
1Summary
Before a single blade is manufactured, engineers need to know how it will behave in the wind – and that is exactly what aerodynamic simulation delivers. It lets design teams test, compare, and refine turbine geometry on a computer long before committing to costly physical prototypes, turning guesswork into predictable performance.
This training course from the Arab British Fellowship Training Academy takes participants through the full simulation toolkit used in wind turbine design, from CFD modelling to Blade Element Momentum theory, and shows how to turn simulation output into real design improvements.
2Objectives and target group
Who Should Attend?
- Aerodynamicists, wind engineers, and design engineers working on wind turbine blade simulation and design.
- Energy analysts and researchers exploring advanced simulation techniques for turbine performance.
- Wind turbine manufacturers looking to strengthen their design and testing processes.
- Engineering students specialising in renewable energy and wind turbine technology.
Programme Objectives
By the end of the programme, participants will be able to:
- Apply core aerodynamic and fluid dynamics principles to simulate wind turbine behaviour.
- Use CFD and BEM-based tools to predict and optimise turbine performance under different operating conditions.
- Analyse the lift, drag, and moment forces acting on blades, and their effect on energy capture.
- Translate simulation and CFD results into practical design improvements that reduce energy losses.
3Course Content
Module 1: Why Aerodynamic Simulation Matters Before You Build
- How simulation lets engineers predict turbine performance before committing to a physical build.
- Cost and time savings simulation offers compared to physical prototype testing.
- The role simulation plays in optimising blade design and overall turbine efficiency.
Module 2: Aerodynamics and Fluid Dynamics Foundations
- Lift, drag, and thrust: the core forces acting on a turbine.
- Airfoil shape, blade design, and rotor efficiency principles.
- Fluid mechanics essentials: the Navier-Stokes equations and boundary layer theory.
Module 3: Getting Started with CFD for Wind Turbines
- Computational Fluid Dynamics as a modelling approach: steady-state vs. transient, RANS, LES, and DNS.
- Popular CFD platforms – ANSYS Fluent, OpenFOAM, STAR-CCM+ – and how to set up a basic simulation.
- Mesh generation and grid refinement practices for reliable results.
Module 4: Boundary Conditions and Mesh Quality
- Defining inlet, outlet, and surface boundary conditions correctly.
- Why mesh resolution and quality drive result accuracy.
- Refinement techniques and ensuring simulation convergence.
Module 5: Forces at the Blade – Lift, Drag, Moment, and Power
- How angle of attack, airfoil shape, and wind speed generate lift and drag.
- Techniques to minimise drag and maximise lift for efficiency.
- The power coefficient (Cp) and how aerodynamic moments shape structural blade design.
Module 6: Wake Effects and Wind Farm Layout
- How the wake behind one turbine affects turbines downstream.
- Modelling wake effects to optimise turbine placement.
- Techniques to reduce wake losses across a wind farm.
Module 7: Blade Element Momentum (BEM) Theory in Practice
- Key assumptions behind Blade Element Momentum theory.
- Step-by-step calculation of lift, drag, and thrust on blade elements.
- Adjusting BEM calculations for changing wind conditions and operating regimes.
Module 8: Combining BEM with CFD for Sharper Predictions
- Why integrating BEM with CFD improves prediction accuracy.
- Using CFD results to refine BEM-based blade calculations.
- Practical benefits of combining both methods in design workflows.
Module 9: Optimising Blade Design for Performance
- Shape, twist, and chord distribution as levers for aerodynamic optimisation.
- Genetic algorithms, particle swarm optimisation, and other optimisation approaches.
- Balancing aerodynamic performance against structural integrity and material limits, and maximising energy capture across wind speeds.
Module 10: Blade Tip Design and Efficiency Gains
- Winglets, vortex generators, and other tip designs that reduce tip losses.
- Mitigating tip vortices to raise energy efficiency.
- The link between tip design, turbine performance, and noise reduction.
Module 11: Simulating Real-World Conditions – Turbulence and Unsteady Flow
- Why unsteady aerodynamics such as gusts, turbulence, and yawing matter for real performance.
- Transient simulations that account for real-world wind fluctuations.
- Turbulence models and wind shear simulation for varying atmospheric conditions.
Module 12: Validating Simulation Results Against Reality
- Comparing simulation output with field measurements and experimental data.
- Benchmarking practices that ensure model accuracy.
- Common challenges in correlating CFD predictions with real-world turbine behaviour.