Power output analysis and optimization of two straight-bladed vertical-axis wind turbines

Wei-Hsin Chen, Ching-Ying Chen, Chun-Yen Huang and Chii-Jong Hwang

Applied Energy, 2017, vol. 185, issue P1, 223-232

Abstract: The power output of two straight-bladed vertical-axis wind turbines is simulated using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) as well as analyzed and optimized using the Taguchi method. Five operating factors of incoming flow angle (β), tip speed ratio (λ), turbine spacing (S/d), rotational direction (RD), and blade angle (ϕ) along with four levels are taken into consideration to account for their influences on the performance of the dual turbine system. An orthogonal array of L16 (45) is designed. The profile of extent indicates that the factors λ and β play crucial roles in determining power output, whereas the factor ϕ almost plays no part on the power output. The influence strength order of each factor is featured by λ>β>RD>S/d>ϕ. Furthermore, the analysis of the signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio suggests that the combination of the five factors for maximizing the power output of the system is located at λ=2, β=120°, (clockwise, counterclockwise), S/d =3, and ϕ=0°. With this operation, flow velocity in three regions beyond, below, and between the two turbines is enhanced from their interaction, whereas it drops drastically in the wake regions. Compared to the single wind turbine operated at λ=2 along with the same wind speed (=8ms−1) and counterclockwise rotation, the mean power coefficient (Cp, average) of the dual turbine system operated at the optimal combination is enlarged by 9.97%.

Keywords: Wind power; Straight-bladed vertical-axis wind turbine (SB-VAWT); Power output; Taguchi method; Optimum operation; Numerical simulation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2017
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (37)

Downloads: (external link)
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0306261916315197
Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:appene:v:185:y:2017:i:p1:p:223-232

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/405891/bibliographic
http://www.elsevier. ... 405891/bibliographic

DOI: 10.1016/j.apenergy.2016.10.076

Access Statistics for this article

Applied Energy is currently edited by J. Yan

More articles in Applied Energy from Elsevier
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Catherine Liu ().