Performance improvement of the biradial self-rectifying impulse air-turbine for wave energy conversion by multi-row guide vanes: Design and experimental results

L.M.C. Gato, A.R. Maduro, A.A.D. Carrelhas, J.C.C. Henriques and D.N. Ferreira

Energy, 2021, vol. 216, issue C

Abstract: Self-rectifying impulse turbines are a popular alternative to the Wells turbine for oscillating-water-column wave energy converters. Self-rectifying impulse turbines have two sets of guide-vanes, one set placed symmetrically on each side of the rotor, instead of a single set as in unidirectional turbines. The efficiency of self-rectifying turbines with fixed guide-vanes is known to be severely affected by the large aerodynamic losses due to the inherent misalignment between the outflow from the rotor and the downstream guide-vanes. The biradial turbine is an advanced, more efficient, version of the impulse self-rectifying turbine, as compared with the conventional axial-flow type. The paper presents a new topology for the radially-set guide-vane system arranged into multiple, rather than simple, rows, aiming to increase the turbine efficiency by reducing the losses by aerodynamic outflow stalling at the exit guide-vane system while ensuring the required inflow deflection by the inlet guide vanes. The design method combines an evolutionary optimisation algorithm with cascade-flow CFD RANS calculations. Experimental results are presented to validate the design method and to assess the performance and flow-losses of the single and double-row guide-vane system configurations.

Keywords: Wave energy; Air turbine; Impulse turbine; Biradial turbine; Guide-vane design (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:energy:v:216:y:2021:i:c:s0360544220322179

DOI: 10.1016/j.energy.2020.119110

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