Computational Fluid Dynamics Modelling and Simulation of an Inclined Horizontal Axis Hydrokinetic Turbine

Leidy Tatiana Contreras, Omar Dario Lopez and Santiago Lain
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Leidy Tatiana Contreras: PAI+ Group, Energetics & Mechanics Department, Faculty of Engineering, Universidad Autónoma de Occidente, 760030 Cali, Colombia
Omar Dario Lopez: Computational Mechanics Research Group, Mechanical Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering, Universidad de los Andes, 111711 Bogotá, Colombia
Santiago Lain: PAI+ Group, Energetics & Mechanics Department, Faculty of Engineering, Universidad Autónoma de Occidente, 760030 Cali, Colombia

Energies, 2018, vol. 11, issue 11, 1-23

Abstract: In this contribution, unsteady three-dimensional numerical simulations of the water flow through a horizontal axis hydrokinetic turbine (HAHT) of the Garman type are performed. This study was conducted in order to estimate the influence of turbine inclination with respect to the incoming flow on turbine performance and forces acting on the rotor, which is studied using a time-accurate Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) commercial solver. Changes of the flow in time are described by a physical transient model based on two domains, one rotating and the other stationary, combined with a sliding mesh technique. Flow turbulence is described by the well-established Shear Stress Transport (SST) model using its standard and transitional versions. Three inclined operation conditions have been analyzed for the turbine regarding the main stream: 0° (SP configuration, shaft parallel to incoming velocity), 15° (SI15 configuration), and 30° (SI30 configuration). It was found that the hydrodynamic efficiency of the turbine decreases with increasing inclination angles. Besides, it was obtained that in the inclined configurations, the thrust and drag forces acting on rotor were lower than in the SP configuration, although in the former cases, blades experience alternating loads that may induce failure due to fatigue in the long term. Moreover, if the boundary layer transitional effects are included in the computations, a slight increase in the power coefficient is computed for all inclination configurations.

Keywords: computational fluid dynamics; three-dimensional unsteady flow; inclined axis hydrokinetic turbine; turbulent flow (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q Q0 Q4 Q40 Q41 Q42 Q43 Q47 Q48 Q49 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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