Bulletin of the American Physical Society
67th Annual Meeting of the APS Division of Fluid Dynamics
Volume 59, Number 20
Sunday–Tuesday, November 23–25, 2014; San Francisco, California
Session H30: Wind Turbines: Vertical Axis |
Hide Abstracts |
Chair: Matthias Kinzel, California Institute of Technology Room: 2016 |
Monday, November 24, 2014 10:30AM - 10:43AM |
H30.00001: Wake visualization behind multiple VAWTs in a wind tunnel using sPIV Colin Parker, Megan C. Leftwich This work visualizes the wake behind multiple vertical axis wind turbines (VAWTs). The flow is visualized in a wind tunnel behind scaled model VAWTs driven at constant rotational velocity. The wake is visualized using stereo particle imaging velocimetry (sPIV) at the mid-plane downstream of the turbines. Syncing the sPIV system with the rotation of the turbine allows images to be taken at known phase angles. These images are then averaged to see the phase-averaged wake behind the VAWTs. Moving downstream, the averaged wake structure can be tracked by phase matching. Initially, data was taken in the near wake behind a single VAWT. As the blade turns normal to, and then back towards the free-stream, a vortex structure is shed into the wake and moves downstream. The out-of-plane velocity corresponding to this vortex pair shows the structures to be highly three-dimensional. Phase averaged wakes show distinct structures behind the turbine that move downstream with the free stream. Next, we measured the wake interactions behind a two turbine system. In this setup, a pair of counter rotating VAWTs is placed in the wind tunnel. We can vary the spacing and orientation between the counter rotating pair to compare changes in the downstream wind profile. [Preview Abstract] |
Monday, November 24, 2014 10:43AM - 10:56AM |
H30.00002: A numerical investigation of the wake structure of vertical axis wind turbines Elias Balaras, Antonio Posa, Megan Leftwich Recent field-testing has shown that vertical axis wind turbines (VAWT) in wind farm configurations have the potential to reach higher power densities, when compared to the more widespread horizontal axis turbines. A critical component in achieving this goal is a good understanding of the wake structure and how it is influenced by operating conditions. In the present study the Large-Eddy Simulation technique is adopted to characterize the wake of a small vertical axis wind turbine and to explore its dependence on the value of its Tip Speed Ratio (TSR). It will be shown that its wake significantly differs from that of a spinning cylinder, often adopted to model this typology of machines: the displacement of the momentum deficit towards the windward side follows the same behavior, but turbulence is higher on the leeward side. An initial increase of the momentum deficit is observed moving downstream, with central peaks in the core of the near wake for both momentum and turbulent kinetic energy, especially at lower TSRs. No back-flow is produced downstream of the turbine. The interaction between blades is stronger at higher values of the TSR, while the production of coherent structures is enhanced at lower TSRs, with large rollers populating the leeward side of the wake. [Preview Abstract] |
Monday, November 24, 2014 10:56AM - 11:09AM |
H30.00003: Velocity measurements in the wake of laboratory-scale vertical axis turbines and rotating circular cylinders Daniel Araya, John Dabiri We present experimental data to compare the wake characteristics of a laboratory-scale vertical-axis turbine with that of a rotating circular cylinder. The cylinder is constructed to have the same diameter and height as the turbine in order to provide a comparison that is independent of the tunnel boundary conditions. Both the turbine and cylinder are motor-driven to tip-speed ratios based on previous experiments. An analysis of the effect of the motor-driven flow is also presented. These measurements are relevant for exploring the complex structure of the vertical axis turbine wake relative to the canonical wake of a circular cylinder. 2D particle image velocimetry is used to measure the velocity field in a two-dimensional plane normal to the axis of rotation. This velocity field is then used to compare time-averaged streamwise velocity, phase-averaged vorticity, and the velocity power spectrum in the wake of the two configurations. The results give insight into the extent to which solid cylinders could be used as a simplified model of the flow around vertical axis turbines in computational simulations, especially for turbine array optimization. [Preview Abstract] |
Monday, November 24, 2014 11:09AM - 11:22AM |
H30.00004: In Situ Measurements of the Flow around a Single Vertical-Axis Wind Turbine Ian Brownstein, Daniel Araya, Matthias Kinzel, John Dabiri Laboratory studies of model vertical-axis wind turbines (VAWTs) are typically unable to match both the Reynolds number (Re) and tip speed ratio (TSR) of full-scale wind turbines. In order to match both relevant parameters, a quantitative flow visualization method was developed to take in situ measurements of the flow around full-scale VAWTs. An apparatus was constructed to deploy a horizontal sheet of smoke upstream of the turbine at the mid-span of the rotor. Quantitative results were obtained by tracking the evolution of this smoke sheet using a PIV algorithm. This method will be demonstrated through a comparative study of three- and five-bladed VAWTs at the Field Laboratory for Optimized Wind Energy (FLOWE) in Lancaster, CA. Additionally, results will be presented in comparison with previous laboratory studies to help determine the dependence of the flow physics on Re and TSR. [Preview Abstract] |
Monday, November 24, 2014 11:22AM - 11:35AM |
H30.00005: Simulations of Vertical Axis Wind Turbine Farms in the Atmospheric Boundary Layer Seyed Hossein Hezaveh, Elie Bou-Zeid, Mark Lohry, Luigi Martinelli Wind power is an abundant and clean source of energy that is increasingly being tapped to reduce the environmental footprint of anthropogenic activities. The vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT) technology is now being revisited due to some important advantages over horizontal axis wind turbines (HAWTS) that are particularly important for farms deployed offshore or in complex terrain. In this talk, we will present the implementation and testing of an actuator line model (ALM) for VAWTs in a large eddy simulation (LES) code for the atmospheric boundary layer, with the aim of optimizing large VAWT wind farm configurations. The force coefficients needed for the ALM are here obtained from blade resolving RANS simulations of individual turbines for each configuration. Comparison to various experimental results show that the model can very successfully reproduce observed wake characteristic. The influence of VAWT design parameters such as solidity, height to radius ratio, and tip speed ratio (TSR) on these wake characteristics, particularly the velocity deficit profile, is then investigated. [Preview Abstract] |
Monday, November 24, 2014 11:35AM - 11:48AM |
H30.00006: Comparison between Vertical-Axis Wind Turbine Arrays and Plant Canopies Matthias Kinzel, Daniel Araya, John Dabiri We present experimental results from three different full scale arrays of vertical-axis wind turbines (VAWTs) under natural wind conditions. One array consists of a row of four single turbines while the other two are made up of nine counter rotating turbine pairs. The wind velocities throughout the turbine arrays are measured using a portable meteorological tower with seven, vertically-staggered, three-component ultrasonic anemometers. Furthermore, the power output of each turbine is measured simultaneously with the free stream wind velocity and direction. These measurements yield detailed understanding of the aerodynamics inside the VAWT arrays and the resulting power productions. Quadrant hole analysis is employed to gain a better understanding of the vertical energy transport at the top of the VAWT array. Results comparing the energy transport and the responsible mechanisms between the larger turbine arrays and the four single turbines configuration will be presented. Furthermore, results are compared to the flow in urban and plant canopies. Emphasis is given to the flow physics in the adjustment region of the canopy, i.e. the region where the flow transitions from an atmospheric surface layer to a canopy flow. [Preview Abstract] |
Monday, November 24, 2014 11:48AM - 12:01PM |
H30.00007: Mean and turbulent flow development through an array of rotating elements Anna Craig, John Dabiri, Jeffrey Koseff The adjustment of an incoming boundary layer profile as it impacts and interacts with an array of elements has received significant attention in the context of terrestrial and aquatic canopies and more recently in the context of horizontal axis wind farms. The distance required for the mean flow profile to stabilize, the energy transport through the array, and the structure of the turbulence within the array are directly dependent upon such factors as the element height, density, rigidity/flexibility, frontal area distribution, element homogeneity, and underlying topography. In the present study, the mean and turbulent development of the flow through an array of rotating elements was examined experimentally. Element rotation has been shown to drastically alter wake dynamics of single and paired elements, but the possible extension of such rotation-driven dynamics had not previously been examined on larger groups of elements. Practically, such an array of rotating elements may provide insight into the flow dynamics of an array of vertical axis wind turbines. 2D particle image velocimetry was used along the length of the array in order to examine the effects of an increasing ratio of cylinder rotation speed to streamwise freestream velocity on flow development and structure. [Preview Abstract] |
Monday, November 24, 2014 12:01PM - 12:14PM |
H30.00008: Numerical investigation of the self-starting of a vertical axis wind turbine Hsieh-Chen Tsai, Tim Colonius The immersed boundary method is used to simulate the incompressible flow around two-dimensional airfoils at sub-scale Reynolds number in order to investigate the self-starting capability of a vertical-axis wind turbine (VAWT). By investigating a single blade fixed at various angle of attacks, the leading edge vortex (LEV) is shown to play an important role in the starting mechanism for both flat-plate and NACA 0018 blades. Depending on the angle of attack of the blade, as the LEV grows, the corresponding low pressure region results in a thrust in the tangential direction, which produces a positive torque to VAWT. Due to the characteristics of the blades, a NACA 0018 blade produces a larger thrust over a wider range of angle of attacks than a flat-plate blade. Therefore, a VAWT with NACA 0018 blades can self-start more easily than one with flat-plate blades. Moreover, by investigating the starting torque of three-bladed VAWTs fixed at various orientations, the optimal orientation that produces the largest torque to start both VAWTs is with a blade parallel to the flow and facing downstream. The simulations are also compared to results from companion water-tunnel experiments at Caltech. [Preview Abstract] |
Monday, November 24, 2014 12:14PM - 12:27PM |
H30.00009: Investigation of implementation of stators on vertical axis wind turbines Aaron Alexander, Arvind Santhanakrishnan Vertical Axis Wind Turbines (VAWT) have historically suffered from an inability to self-start and, especially on Savonius rotors, low efficiencies due to drag on the returning blade. A few VAWT studies have examined the use of stators to direct the flow onto the power producing side of the rotor thus preventing drag on the returning side, yet all of the designs studied allow the air to exit on the downstream side of the entering flow. This study investigates an alternative stator design for extracting more wind energy by trapping the incoming flow into a rising vortex within the stator enclosure. The flow is then allowed to exit above the stator. The current study compared the performance of a generic Savonius rotor in a 7 m/s free stream flow with the same rotor in two different stator designs. The first stator design allows the flow to escape in the downstream direction. The second stator design utilizes the same stator shape, but forces the air to remain trapped until it can exit above the stators. The initial evaluation of the results was conducted using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) package Star-CCM$+$ set up with an unsteady k-$\varepsilon $ model at a Reynolds number of about 1,400,000. Experimental comparisons with scale models will be presented. [Preview Abstract] |
Monday, November 24, 2014 12:27PM - 12:40PM |
H30.00010: Flow--blade interaction in a Vertical Axis Wind Turbine Roberto Dominguez, Saul Piedra, Eduardo Ramos We present an analysis of the interaction between an incoming wind and three airfoils symmetrically located, and free to rotate around a common axis. The geometrical configuration considered is a two dimensional model of Vertical Axis Wind Turbine. The model is based in the conservation equations of the fluid coupled with the Newton-Lagrange equations for the interaction with the airfoils. The presence of the rigid body in the fluid is simulated using immersed boundary conditions. The interaction of the wind with the airfoil located further upstream generates a force on the airfoil and vortices that are swept downstream and collide with the other airfoils. This effect generates a complex interplay of dynamical forces whose resultant is a torque that sets the system in motion. We describe the flow around the airfoils and examine the efficiency of the system as a function of geometric variables. Our conclusions are potentially useful for the design of VAWT's. [Preview Abstract] |
Follow Us |
Engage
Become an APS Member |
My APS
Renew Membership |
Information for |
About APSThe American Physical Society (APS) is a non-profit membership organization working to advance the knowledge of physics. |
© 2024 American Physical Society
| All rights reserved | Terms of Use
| Contact Us
Headquarters
1 Physics Ellipse, College Park, MD 20740-3844
(301) 209-3200
Editorial Office
100 Motor Pkwy, Suite 110, Hauppauge, NY 11788
(631) 591-4000
Office of Public Affairs
529 14th St NW, Suite 1050, Washington, D.C. 20045-2001
(202) 662-8700