Numerical Investigation of the Effect of Tower Dam and Rotor Misalignment on Performance and Loads of a Large Wind Turbine in the Atmospheric Boundary Layer

Gilberto Santo, Mathijs Peeters, Wim Van Paepegem and Joris Degroote
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Gilberto Santo: Department of Flow, Heat and Combustion Mechanics, Ghent University, Sint-Pietersnieuwstraat 41, 9000 Ghent, Belgium
Mathijs Peeters: Department of Materials, Textiles and Chemical Engineering, Ghent University, Technologiepark-Zwijnaarde 907, 9052 Zwijnaarde, Belgium
Wim Van Paepegem: Department of Materials, Textiles and Chemical Engineering, Ghent University, Technologiepark-Zwijnaarde 907, 9052 Zwijnaarde, Belgium
Joris Degroote: Department of Flow, Heat and Combustion Mechanics, Ghent University, Sint-Pietersnieuwstraat 41, 9000 Ghent, Belgium

Energies, 2019, vol. 12, issue 7, 1-19

Abstract: A modern horizontal axis wind turbine was simulated by means of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations. The analyzed machine has a diameter of 100 m and is immersed in the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL). The velocity and turbulence stratification of the ABL is correctly preserved along the domain by the adoption of modified wall functions. An overset technique is employed to handle the rotation of the turbine rotor throughout the operation of the machine. The ABL induces periodically oscillating loads and generated torque on the rotor blades. Several configurations are analyzed. First, the results of a rotor-only simulation are compared to the ones obtained from the simulation of the full machine in order to evaluate the effect of the supporting structures on the produced torque and on the loads acting on the blades. Then, a tilt angle is introduced on the analyzed rotor and its effect on the oscillating loads of each blade is highlighted by comparing the results to the untilted configuration. Lastly, a yaw misalignment is also introduced and the results are compared to the unyawed configuration.

Keywords: wind turbine; atmospheric boundary layer; wind energy; tower dam; tilt; yaw; rotor misalignment (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: 2019
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