Double-Multiple Streamtube Analysis of a Flexible Vertical Axis Wind Turbine
Vertical-axis wind turbines (VAWTs) have drawn increased attention for off-grid and off-shore power generation due to inherent advantages over the more popular horizontal-axis wind turbines (HAWTs). Among these advantages are generator locale, omni-directionality and simplistic design. However, one...
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Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2311-5521/6/3/118 |
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doaj-5d2a85777a1d4e5a934e11c8a573b37c2021-03-14T00:00:34ZengMDPI AGFluids2311-55212021-03-01611811810.3390/fluids6030118Double-Multiple Streamtube Analysis of a Flexible Vertical Axis Wind TurbineLalit Roy0Kellis Kincaid1Roohany Mahmud2David W. MacPhee3Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35401, USADepartment of Mechanical Engineering, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35401, USADepartment of Mechanical Engineering, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35401, USADepartment of Mechanical Engineering, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL 35401, USAVertical-axis wind turbines (VAWTs) have drawn increased attention for off-grid and off-shore power generation due to inherent advantages over the more popular horizontal-axis wind turbines (HAWTs). Among these advantages are generator locale, omni-directionality and simplistic design. However, one major disadvantage is lower efficiency, which can be alleviated through blade pitching. Since each blade must transit both up- and down-stream each revolution, VAWT blade pitching techniques are not yet commonplace due to increased complexity and cost. Utilizing passively-morphing flexible blades can offer similar results as active pitching, requiring no sensors or actuators, and has shown promise in increasing VAWT performance in select cases. In this study, wind tunnel tests have been conducted with flexible and rigid-bladed NACA 0012 airfoils, in order to provide necessary input data for a Double-Multiple Stream-Tube (DMST) model. The results from this study indicate that a passively-morphing VAWT can achieve a maximum power coefficient (<inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><msub><mi>C</mi><mi>p</mi></msub></semantics></math></inline-formula>) far exceeding that for a rigid-bladed VAWT <inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><msub><mi>C</mi><mi>P</mi></msub></semantics></math></inline-formula> (18.9% vs. 10%) with reduced normal force fluctuations as much as 6.9%. Operational range of tip-speed ratio also is observed to increase by a maximum of 40.3%.https://www.mdpi.com/2311-5521/6/3/118DMSTVAWTairfoilflexible blademorphing bladeCL |
collection |
DOAJ |
language |
English |
format |
Article |
sources |
DOAJ |
author |
Lalit Roy Kellis Kincaid Roohany Mahmud David W. MacPhee |
spellingShingle |
Lalit Roy Kellis Kincaid Roohany Mahmud David W. MacPhee Double-Multiple Streamtube Analysis of a Flexible Vertical Axis Wind Turbine Fluids DMST VAWT airfoil flexible blade morphing blade CL |
author_facet |
Lalit Roy Kellis Kincaid Roohany Mahmud David W. MacPhee |
author_sort |
Lalit Roy |
title |
Double-Multiple Streamtube Analysis of a Flexible Vertical Axis Wind Turbine |
title_short |
Double-Multiple Streamtube Analysis of a Flexible Vertical Axis Wind Turbine |
title_full |
Double-Multiple Streamtube Analysis of a Flexible Vertical Axis Wind Turbine |
title_fullStr |
Double-Multiple Streamtube Analysis of a Flexible Vertical Axis Wind Turbine |
title_full_unstemmed |
Double-Multiple Streamtube Analysis of a Flexible Vertical Axis Wind Turbine |
title_sort |
double-multiple streamtube analysis of a flexible vertical axis wind turbine |
publisher |
MDPI AG |
series |
Fluids |
issn |
2311-5521 |
publishDate |
2021-03-01 |
description |
Vertical-axis wind turbines (VAWTs) have drawn increased attention for off-grid and off-shore power generation due to inherent advantages over the more popular horizontal-axis wind turbines (HAWTs). Among these advantages are generator locale, omni-directionality and simplistic design. However, one major disadvantage is lower efficiency, which can be alleviated through blade pitching. Since each blade must transit both up- and down-stream each revolution, VAWT blade pitching techniques are not yet commonplace due to increased complexity and cost. Utilizing passively-morphing flexible blades can offer similar results as active pitching, requiring no sensors or actuators, and has shown promise in increasing VAWT performance in select cases. In this study, wind tunnel tests have been conducted with flexible and rigid-bladed NACA 0012 airfoils, in order to provide necessary input data for a Double-Multiple Stream-Tube (DMST) model. The results from this study indicate that a passively-morphing VAWT can achieve a maximum power coefficient (<inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><msub><mi>C</mi><mi>p</mi></msub></semantics></math></inline-formula>) far exceeding that for a rigid-bladed VAWT <inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><msub><mi>C</mi><mi>P</mi></msub></semantics></math></inline-formula> (18.9% vs. 10%) with reduced normal force fluctuations as much as 6.9%. Operational range of tip-speed ratio also is observed to increase by a maximum of 40.3%. |
topic |
DMST VAWT airfoil flexible blade morphing blade CL |
url |
https://www.mdpi.com/2311-5521/6/3/118 |
work_keys_str_mv |
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