Insight into Rotational Effects on a Wind Turbine Blade Using Navier–Stokes Computations

Iván Herráez, Bernhard Stoevesandt and Joachim Peinke
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Iván Herráez: Forwind, University of Oldenburg, D-26111 Oldenburg, Germany
Bernhard Stoevesandt: Fraunhofer Institute for Wind Energy and Energy System Technology, Ammerländer Heerstr. 136, D-26129 Oldenburg, Germany
Joachim Peinke: Forwind, University of Oldenburg, D-26111 Oldenburg, Germany

Energies, 2014, vol. 7, issue 10, 1-25

Abstract: Rotational effects are known to influence severely the aerodynamic performance of the inboard region of rotor blades. The underlying physical mechanisms are however far from being well understood. The present work addresses this problem using Reynolds averaged Navier–Stokes computations and experimental results of the MEXICO (Model Experiments in Controlled Conditions) rotor. Four axisymmetric inflow cases with wind speeds ranging from pre-stall to post-stall conditions are computed and compared with pressure and particle image velocimetry (PIV) experimental data, obtaining, in general, consistent results. At low angles of attack, the aerodynamic behavior of all of the studied blade sections resembles the one from the corresponding 2D airfoils. However, at high angles of attack, rotational effects lead to stall delay and/or lift enhancement at inboard positions. Such effects are shown to occur only in the presence of significant radial flows. Interestingly, the way in which rotational effects influence the aerodynamics of the MEXICO blades differs qualitatively in certain aspects from the descriptions found in the literature about this topic. The presented results provide new insights that are useful for the development of advanced and physically-sound correction models.

Keywords: Reynolds Averaged Numerical Simulation; CFD; rotational augmentation; radial pumping; stall delay; rotational effects; wind turbine aerodynamics (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: 2014
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (13)

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