Due to the rapid progress in high-performance computing and the availability of increasingly large computational resources, Navier–Stokes (NS) computational fluid dynamics (CFD) now offers a cost-effective, versatile, and accurate means to improve the understanding of the unsteady aerodynamics of Darrieus wind turbines and deliver more efficient designs. In particular, the possibility of determining a fully resolved flow field past the blades by means of CFD offers the opportunity to both further understand the physics underlying the turbine fluid dynamics and to use this knowledge to validate lower-order models, which can have a wider diffusion in the wind energy sector, particularly for industrial use, in the light of their lower computational burden. In this context, highly spatially and temporally refined time-dependent three-dimensional (3D) NS simulations were carried out using more than 16,000 processor cores per simulation on an IBM BG/Q cluster in order to investigate thoroughly the 3D unsteady aerodynamics of a single blade in Darrieus-like motion. Particular attention was paid to tip losses, dynamic stall, and blade/wake interaction. CFD results are compared with those obtained with an open-source code based on the lifting line free vortex wake model (LLFVW). At present, this approach is the most refined method among the “lower-fidelity” models, and as the wake is explicitly resolved in contrast to blade element momentum (BEM)-based methods, LLFVW analyses provide 3D flow solutions. Extended comparisons between the two approaches are presented and a critical analysis is carried out to identify the benefits and drawbacks of the two approaches.
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February 2018
Research-Article
Three-Dimensional Aerodynamic Analysis of a Darrieus Wind Turbine Blade Using Computational Fluid Dynamics and Lifting Line Theory
Francesco Balduzzi,
Francesco Balduzzi
Department of Industrial Engineering,
University of Florence,
Via di Santa Marta 3,
Firenze 50139, Italy
e-mail: balduzzi@vega.de.unifi.it
University of Florence,
Via di Santa Marta 3,
Firenze 50139, Italy
e-mail: balduzzi@vega.de.unifi.it
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David Marten,
David Marten
Hermann-Föttinger-Institut,
Technische Universität Berlin,
Müller-Breslau-Straße 8,
Berlin 10623, Germany
e-mail: david.marten@tu-berlin.de
Technische Universität Berlin,
Müller-Breslau-Straße 8,
Berlin 10623, Germany
e-mail: david.marten@tu-berlin.de
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Alessandro Bianchini,
Alessandro Bianchini
Department of Industrial Engineering,
University of Florence,
Via di Santa Marta 3,
Firenze 50139, Italy
e-mail: bianchini@vega.de.unifi.it
University of Florence,
Via di Santa Marta 3,
Firenze 50139, Italy
e-mail: bianchini@vega.de.unifi.it
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Jernej Drofelnik,
Jernej Drofelnik
School of Engineering,
University of Glasgow,
James Watt Building South,
University Avenue,
Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
e-mail: j.drofelnik.1@research.gla.ac.uk
University of Glasgow,
James Watt Building South,
University Avenue,
Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
e-mail: j.drofelnik.1@research.gla.ac.uk
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Lorenzo Ferrari,
Lorenzo Ferrari
Department of Energy, Systems, Territory
and Construction Engineering,
University of Pisa,
Largo Lucio Lazzarino,
Pisa 56122, Italy
e-mail: lorenzo.ferrari@unipi.it
and Construction Engineering,
University of Pisa,
Largo Lucio Lazzarino,
Pisa 56122, Italy
e-mail: lorenzo.ferrari@unipi.it
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Michele Sergio Campobasso,
Michele Sergio Campobasso
Department of Engineering,
Lancaster University,
Gillow Avenue,
Lancaster LA1 4YW, UK
e-mail: m.s.campobasso@lancaster.ac.uk
Lancaster University,
Gillow Avenue,
Lancaster LA1 4YW, UK
e-mail: m.s.campobasso@lancaster.ac.uk
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Georgios Pechlivanoglou,
Georgios Pechlivanoglou
Hermann-Föttinger-Institut,
Technische Universität Berlin,
Müller-Breslau-Straße 8, Berlin 10623, Germany
e-mail: george@pechlivanoglou.com
Technische Universität Berlin,
Müller-Breslau-Straße 8, Berlin 10623, Germany
e-mail: george@pechlivanoglou.com
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Christian Navid Nayeri,
Christian Navid Nayeri
Hermann-Föttinger-Institut,
Technische Universität Berlin,
Müller-Breslau-Straße 8,
Berlin 10623, Germany
e-mail: christian.nayeri@tu-berlin.de
Technische Universität Berlin,
Müller-Breslau-Straße 8,
Berlin 10623, Germany
e-mail: christian.nayeri@tu-berlin.de
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Giovanni Ferrara,
Giovanni Ferrara
Department of Industrial Engineering,
University of Florence,
Via di Santa Marta 3,
Firenze 50139, Italy
e-mail: giovanni.ferrara@unifi.it
University of Florence,
Via di Santa Marta 3,
Firenze 50139, Italy
e-mail: giovanni.ferrara@unifi.it
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Christian Oliver Paschereit
Christian Oliver Paschereit
Hermann-Föttinger-Institut,
Technische Universität Berlin,
Müller-Breslau-Straße 8,
Berlin 10623, Germany
e-mail: oliver.paschereit@tu-berlin.de
Technische Universität Berlin,
Müller-Breslau-Straße 8,
Berlin 10623, Germany
e-mail: oliver.paschereit@tu-berlin.de
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Francesco Balduzzi
Department of Industrial Engineering,
University of Florence,
Via di Santa Marta 3,
Firenze 50139, Italy
e-mail: balduzzi@vega.de.unifi.it
University of Florence,
Via di Santa Marta 3,
Firenze 50139, Italy
e-mail: balduzzi@vega.de.unifi.it
David Marten
Hermann-Föttinger-Institut,
Technische Universität Berlin,
Müller-Breslau-Straße 8,
Berlin 10623, Germany
e-mail: david.marten@tu-berlin.de
Technische Universität Berlin,
Müller-Breslau-Straße 8,
Berlin 10623, Germany
e-mail: david.marten@tu-berlin.de
Alessandro Bianchini
Department of Industrial Engineering,
University of Florence,
Via di Santa Marta 3,
Firenze 50139, Italy
e-mail: bianchini@vega.de.unifi.it
University of Florence,
Via di Santa Marta 3,
Firenze 50139, Italy
e-mail: bianchini@vega.de.unifi.it
Jernej Drofelnik
School of Engineering,
University of Glasgow,
James Watt Building South,
University Avenue,
Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
e-mail: j.drofelnik.1@research.gla.ac.uk
University of Glasgow,
James Watt Building South,
University Avenue,
Glasgow G12 8QQ, UK
e-mail: j.drofelnik.1@research.gla.ac.uk
Lorenzo Ferrari
Department of Energy, Systems, Territory
and Construction Engineering,
University of Pisa,
Largo Lucio Lazzarino,
Pisa 56122, Italy
e-mail: lorenzo.ferrari@unipi.it
and Construction Engineering,
University of Pisa,
Largo Lucio Lazzarino,
Pisa 56122, Italy
e-mail: lorenzo.ferrari@unipi.it
Michele Sergio Campobasso
Department of Engineering,
Lancaster University,
Gillow Avenue,
Lancaster LA1 4YW, UK
e-mail: m.s.campobasso@lancaster.ac.uk
Lancaster University,
Gillow Avenue,
Lancaster LA1 4YW, UK
e-mail: m.s.campobasso@lancaster.ac.uk
Georgios Pechlivanoglou
Hermann-Föttinger-Institut,
Technische Universität Berlin,
Müller-Breslau-Straße 8, Berlin 10623, Germany
e-mail: george@pechlivanoglou.com
Technische Universität Berlin,
Müller-Breslau-Straße 8, Berlin 10623, Germany
e-mail: george@pechlivanoglou.com
Christian Navid Nayeri
Hermann-Föttinger-Institut,
Technische Universität Berlin,
Müller-Breslau-Straße 8,
Berlin 10623, Germany
e-mail: christian.nayeri@tu-berlin.de
Technische Universität Berlin,
Müller-Breslau-Straße 8,
Berlin 10623, Germany
e-mail: christian.nayeri@tu-berlin.de
Giovanni Ferrara
Department of Industrial Engineering,
University of Florence,
Via di Santa Marta 3,
Firenze 50139, Italy
e-mail: giovanni.ferrara@unifi.it
University of Florence,
Via di Santa Marta 3,
Firenze 50139, Italy
e-mail: giovanni.ferrara@unifi.it
Christian Oliver Paschereit
Hermann-Föttinger-Institut,
Technische Universität Berlin,
Müller-Breslau-Straße 8,
Berlin 10623, Germany
e-mail: oliver.paschereit@tu-berlin.de
Technische Universität Berlin,
Müller-Breslau-Straße 8,
Berlin 10623, Germany
e-mail: oliver.paschereit@tu-berlin.de
Contributed by the Turbomachinery Committee of ASME for publication in the JOURNAL OF ENGINEERING FOR GAS TURBINES AND POWER. Manuscript received July 5, 2017; final manuscript received July 19, 2017; published online October 3, 2017. Editor: David Wisler.
J. Eng. Gas Turbines Power. Feb 2018, 140(2): 022602 (11 pages)
Published Online: October 3, 2017
Article history
Received:
July 5, 2017
Revised:
July 19, 2017
Citation
Balduzzi, F., Marten, D., Bianchini, A., Drofelnik, J., Ferrari, L., Campobasso, M. S., Pechlivanoglou, G., Nayeri, C. N., Ferrara, G., and Paschereit, C. O. (October 3, 2017). "Three-Dimensional Aerodynamic Analysis of a Darrieus Wind Turbine Blade Using Computational Fluid Dynamics and Lifting Line Theory." ASME. J. Eng. Gas Turbines Power. February 2018; 140(2): 022602. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4037750
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