Arriving at the Optimum Overlap Ratio for an Elliptical-Bladed Savonius Rotor

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nur Alom ◽  
Ujjwal K. Saha
Keyword(s):  
Numerical Study ◽  
Superior Performance ◽  
Navier Stokes ◽  
Speed Ratio ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Efficient Manner ◽  
Ansys Fluent ◽  
Savonius Rotor ◽  
Velocity Magnitude ◽  
Overlap Ratio

The Savonius rotor appears to be particularly promising for the small-scale applications because of its design simplicity, good starting ability, and insensitivity to wind directions. There has been a growing interest in recent times to harness wind energy in an efficient manner by developing newer blade profiles of Savonius rotor. The overlap ratio (OR), one of the important geometric parameters, plays a crucial role in the turbine performance. In a recent study, an elliptical blade profile with a sectional cut angle (θ) of 47.5° has demonstrated its superior performance when set at an OR = 0.20. However, this value of OR is ideal for a semicircular profile, and therefore, requires further investigation to arrive at the optimum overlap ratio for the elliptical profile. In view of this, the present study attempts to make a systemic numerical study to arrive at the optimum OR of the elliptical profile having sectional cut angle, θ = 47.5°. The 2D unsteady simulation is carried out around the elliptical profile considering various overlap ratios in the range of 0.0 to 0.30. The continuity, unsteady Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes (URANS) equations and two equation eddy viscosity SST (Shear Stress transport) k-ω model are solved by using the commercial finite volume method (FVM) based solver ANSYS Fluent. The torque and power coefficients are calculated as a function of tip speed ratio (TSR) and at rotating conditions. The total pressure, velocity magnitude and turbulence intensity contours are obtained and analyzed to arrive at the intended objective. The numerical simulation demonstrates an improved performance of the elliptical profile at an OR = 0.15.

Aerodynamic Performance of an Elliptical-Bladed Savonius Rotor Under the Influence of Number of Blades and Shaft

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nur Alom ◽  
Nitish Kumar ◽  
Ujjwal K. Saha
Keyword(s):  
Flow Characteristics ◽  
Rotor Blades ◽  
Experimental Investigations ◽  
Speed Ratio ◽  
Ansys Fluent ◽  
Savonius Rotor ◽  
Velocity Magnitude ◽  
Augmentation Techniques ◽  
Influencing Parameters ◽  
Overlap Ratio

In the past, various influencing parameters of the conventional semicircular-bladed Savonius rotor such as overlap ratio, aspect ratio, number of rotor blades have been optimized through numerical and experimental investigations to improve its performance. Furthermore, the rotor performance under the influence of various blade profiles, shaft, endplates, and augmentation techniques has also been studied. Recent rudimentary studies with an elliptical-bladed Savonius rotor have demonstrated its potential to harness the wind energy more efficiently; however, its influencing parameters have not been thoroughly studied and therefore they need to be optimized to arrive at a suitable design configuration. In view of this, the objective of the present investigation is to optimize the number of elliptical blades on the rotor and then to find the influence of shaft with the optimized number of blades on the rotor performance. For this, 2D unsteady simulation is carried out with different combinations of blades, and after having optimized the number of blades, the influence of shaft on the rotor performance is studied. The continuity, unsteady Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) equations, and two equation eddy viscosity SST (Shear Stress transport) k-ω model are solved by using the commercial FVM based solver ANSYS Fluent. The torque and power coefficients are calculated as a function of tip speed ratio (TSR) and at rotating conditions. The total pressure, velocity magnitude, turbulence intensity and streamline patterns are obtained and analyzed to arrive at the intended objective. The numerical investigation demonstrates an improved flow characteristics and performance coefficients of the 2-elliptical-bladed profile without shaft.

Numerical Study on Control of Sunroof Buffeting

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Vijaykumar ◽  
S. Poonkodi ◽  
A.T. Sriram
Keyword(s):  
Numerical Study ◽  
Leading Edge ◽  
Dominant Frequency ◽  
Navier Stokes ◽  
Navier Stokes Equation ◽  
Ansys Fluent ◽  
Flow Modification ◽  
Numerical Result ◽  
Modification Technique ◽  
Commercial Solver

Sunroof has become one of the essential features of a luxury car, and it provides natural air circulation and good illumination into the car. But the primary problem associated with it is the buffeting noise which causes discomfort to the passengers. Though adequate studies were carried out on sunroof buffeting, efficient control techniques are needed to be developed from fundamental mechanism. To reduce the buffeting noise, flow modifications at the entrance of the sunroof is considered in this study. The internal portion of the car with sunroof is simplified into a shear driven open cavity, and two-dimensional numerical simulations are carried out using commercial solver, ANSYS Fluent. Reynolds averaged Navier-Stokes equation is used with the realizable k-? turbulence model. The unsteady numerical result obtained in this study is validated with the available experimental results for the dominant frequency. The prediction is good agreement with experiment. Flow modification technique is proposed to control the sunroof buffeting by implementing geometric modifications. A hump has been placed near the leading edge of the cavity which resulted in significant reduction of pressure oscillations. Parametric studies have been performed by varying the height of hump and the distance of hump from the leading edge. There is no prominent difference when the height of the hump is varied. As the distance of the hump from the leading edge is reduced, the sound pressure level decreases.

Wind Tunnel Tests of a Model Small-scale Horizontal-axis Wind Turbine Developed from Blade Element Momentum Theory

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-16
Author(s):  
Ojing Siram ◽  
Niranjan Sahoo ◽  
Ujjwal K. Saha
Keyword(s):  
Wind Tunnel ◽  
Horizontal Axis ◽  
Superior Performance ◽  
Speed Ratio ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Blade Design ◽  
Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine ◽  
Blade Element Momentum Theory ◽  
Momentum Theory ◽  
Blade Element

Abstract The small-scale horizontal-axis wind turbines (SHAWTs) have emerged as the promising alternative energy resource for the off-grid electrical power generation. These turbines primarily operate at low Reynolds number, low wind speed, and low tip speed ratio conditions. Under such circumstances, the airfoil selection and blade design of a SHAWT becomes a challenging task. The present work puts forward the necessary steps starting from the aerofoil selection to the blade design and analysis by means of blade element momentum theory (BEMT) for the development of four model rotors composed of E216, SG6043, NACA63415, and NACA0012 airfoils. This analysis shows the superior performance of the model rotor with E216 airfoil in comparison to other three models. However, the subsequent wind tunnel study with the E216 model, a marginal drop in its performance due to mechanical losses has been observed.

Numerical simulations of the humid atmosphere above a mountain

2015 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Arthur Bousquet ◽  
Mickaël D. Chekroun ◽  
Youngjoon Hong ◽  
Roger M. Temam ◽  
Joseph Tribbia
Keyword(s):  
Boundary Conditions ◽  
Finite Volume ◽  
Compatibility Condition ◽  
Stokes Equations ◽  
Numerical Study ◽  
Taylor Series Expansion ◽  
Navier Stokes ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Spatial Discretization ◽  
Humid Atmosphere

AbstractNew avenues are explored for the numerical study of the two dimensional inviscid hydrostatic primitive equations of the atmosphere with humidity and saturation, in presence of topography and subject to physically plausible boundary conditions for the system of equations. Flows above a mountain are classically treated by the so-called method of terrain following coordinate system. We avoid this discretization method which induces errors in the discretization of tangential derivatives near the topography. Instead we implement a first order finite volume method for the spatial discretization using the initial coordinates x and p. A compatibility condition similar to that related to the condition of incompressibility for the Navier- Stokes equations, is introduced. In that respect, a version of the projection method is considered to enforce the compatibility condition on the horizontal velocity field, which comes from the boundary conditions. For the spatial discretization, a modified Godunov type method that exploits the discrete finite-volume derivatives by using the so-called Taylor Series Expansion Scheme (TSES), is then designed to solve the equations. We report on numerical experiments using realistic parameters. Finally, the effects of a random small-scale forcing on the velocity equation is numerically investigated.

The Reynold’s Number Effect in High Swirling Flow in Unconfined Burner

2015 ◽  
Vol 72 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Norwazan A. R. ◽  
Mohammad Nazri Mohd. Jaafar
Keyword(s):  
Turbulent Flows ◽  
Gas Turbines ◽  
Swirling Flow ◽  
Numerical Study ◽  
Isothermal Condition ◽  
Navier Stokes ◽  
Reacting Flow ◽  
Ansys Fluent ◽  
Inlet Velocity ◽  
Burner Exit

The numerical simulations of swirling turbulent flows in isothermal condition in combustion chamber of burner were investigated. The aim is to characterize the main flow structures and turbulence in a combustor that is relevant to gas turbines. Isothermal flows with different inlet flow velocities were considered to demonstrate the effect of radial velocity. The inlet velocity, Uo is varied from 30 m/s to 60 m/s represent a high Reynolds number up to 3.00 X 105. The swirler was located at the upstream of combustor with the swirl number of 0.895. A numerical study of non-reacting flow in the burner region was performed using ANSYS Fluent. The Reynolds–Averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) approach method was applied with the standard k-ɛ turbulence equations. The various velocity profiles were different after undergoing the different inlet velocity up to the burner exit. The results of velocity profile showed that the high U0 give better swirling flow patterns.

scholarly journals A Hybrid BEM-CFD Virtual Blade Model to Predict Interactions between Tidal Stream Turbines under Wave Conditions

2020 ◽  
Vol 8 (12) ◽  
pp. 969
Author(s):  
Nicolo’ Lombardi ◽  
Stephanie Ordonez-Sanchez ◽  
Stefania Zanforlin ◽  
Cameron Johnstone
Keyword(s):  
Numerical Study ◽  
Experimental Tests ◽  
Full Scale ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Ansys Fluent ◽  
Narrow Channels ◽  
Tidal Turbine ◽  
Performance Deterioration ◽  
Set Up ◽  
Blade Model

Tidal turbine array optimization is crucial for the further development of the marine sector. It has already been observed that tidal turbines within an array can be heavily affected by excessive aerodynamic interference, thus leading to performance deterioration. Small-scale experimental tests aimed at understanding the physical mechanisms of interaction and identifying optimal distances between machines can be found in the literature. However, often, the relatively narrow channels of laboratories imply high blockage ratios, which could affect the results, making them unreliable if extrapolated to full-scale cases. The main aim of this numerical study was to analyze the effects of the blockage caused by the laboratory channel walls in cases of current and also current surface waves. For this purpose, the performance predictions achieved for two turbines arranged in line for different lateral offsets in case of a typical laboratory scale were compared to the predictions obtained for a full scale, unconfined environment. The methodology consisted in the adoption a hybrid Blade Element Momentum–Computational Fluid Dynamics (BEM-CFD) approach, which was based on the Virtual Blade Model of ANSYS-Fluent. The results indicate that (1) the performance of a downstream turbine can increase up to 5% when this has a lateral separation of 1.5D from an upstream device in a full-scale environment compared to a misleading 15% calculated for the laboratory set-up, and (2) the relative fluctuations of power and thrust generated by waves are not significantly affected by the domain dimensions.

Performance Improvements for a Vertical Axis Wind Turbine by Means of Gurney Flap

2019 ◽  
Vol 142 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Yan Yan ◽  
Eldad Avital ◽  
John Williams ◽  
Jiahuan Cui
Keyword(s):  
Wind Turbine ◽  
Stokes Equations ◽  
Numerical Study ◽  
Vertical Axis ◽  
Power Coefficient ◽  
Navier Stokes ◽  
Speed Ratio ◽  
Vertical Axis Wind Turbine ◽  
Performance Improvements ◽  
Gurney Flap

Abstract A numerical study was carried out to investigate the effects of a Gurney flap (GF) on the aerodynamics performance of the NACA 00 aerofoil and an associated three-blade rotor of a H-type Darrieus wind turbine. The flow fields around a single aerofoil and the vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT) rotor are studied using unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes equations (URANS). The height of GF ranges from 1% to 5% of the aerofoil chord length. The results show that the GF can increase the lift and lift-to-drag ratio of the aerofoil as associated with the generation of additional vortices near the aerofoil trailing edge. As a result, adding a GF can significantly improve the power coefficient of the VAWT at low tip speed ratio (TSR), where it typically gives low power production. The causing mechanism is discussed in detail, pointing to flow separation and dynamic stall delay.

Simulation Study on the Performance of Vertical Axis Wind Turbine

2013 ◽  
Vol 465-466 ◽  
pp. 270-274 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Afzanizam Samiran ◽  
A.A. Wahab ◽  
Mohd Sofian ◽  
N. Rosly
Keyword(s):  
Output Power ◽  
Flow Characteristic ◽  
Cfd Simulation ◽  
Vertical Axis ◽  
Power Coefficient ◽  
Navier Stokes ◽  
Vertical Axis Wind Turbine ◽  
Ansys Fluent ◽  
Savonius Rotor ◽  
Torque Coefficient

The present study considered the design improvement of Savonius rotor, in order to increase the efficiency of output power. An investigation was conducted to study the effect of geometrical configuration on the performance of the rotor in terms of coefficient of torque, coefficient of power and power output. Modification of conventional geometry has been designed by combining the effect of number of blades and shielding method. CFD simulation was conducted to analyze the flow characteristic and calculate the torque coefficient of all the rotor configurations. The continuity and Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) equations and realizable k-ε epsilon turbulence model are numerically solved by commercial software Ansys-Fluent 14.0. The results obtained by transient and steady method for the conventional two bladed Savonius rotor are in agreement with those obtained experimentally by other authors and this indicates that the methods can be successfully applied for such analysis. The modified 3 and 4 bladed rotors with hybrid shielding method gave the highest maximum power coefficient which 0.37 at TSR 0.5 and output power exceed 4 watts with rotor dimensions of 0.2m width and 0.2m height. This blade configuration also is the best configuration by several percentages compared to the other model from the previous study

Numerical Study of Performances of Vertical Axis Tidal Turbines

2012 ◽  
Vol 455-456 ◽  
pp. 296-301
Author(s):  
Yan Liu ◽  
Peng Fei Zhao ◽  
Xiao Hui Su ◽  
Guang Zhao
Keyword(s):  
Flow Field ◽  
Turbulent Flows ◽  
Stokes Equations ◽  
Numerical Study ◽  
Vertical Axis ◽  
Negative Influence ◽  
Navier Stokes ◽  
Speed Ratio ◽  
Tidal Turbines ◽  
Central Shaft

Numerical simulations of flows over two-dimensional vertical axis tidal turbines are carried out. Unsteady Reynolds averaged Navier-Stokes Equations are applied to model turbulent flows. Influence of the central shaft and number of blades on flow field and thus performances of turbines are investigated. Performances in terms of torque and power coefficients are obtained for different types of turbines. Results demonstrates that the central shaft has a negative influence on flow field and power coefficients. Solidity and tip speed ratio are two important factors to affect turbine’s performances. This paper provides useful information for future studies.

An Experimental and Numerical Investigation of the Effect of Combustor-Nozzle Platform Misalignment on Endwall Heat Transfer at Transonic High Turbulence Conditions

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Arisi ◽  
D. Mayo ◽  
Z. Li ◽  
W. F. Ng ◽  
H. K. Moon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Numerical Study ◽  
Horseshoe Vortex ◽  
Aerodynamic Characteristics ◽  
Secondary Flows ◽  
Navier Stokes ◽  
Vortex System ◽  
Ansys Fluent ◽  
Heat Transfer Augmentation ◽  
Exit Mach Number

A detailed experimental and numerical study has been conducted to investigate the endwall heat transfer characteristics on a nozzle platform that has been misaligned with the combustor exit, resulting in a backward facing step at the nozzle inlet. The study was carried out under transonic engine representative conditions with an exit Mach number of 0.85 (Reexit = 1.5 × 106), and an inlet turbulence intensity of 16%. A transient infrared thermography technique coupled with endwall static pressure ports, were used to map the endwall surface heat transfer and aerodynamic characteristics respectively. A numerical study was also conducted by solving the steady state Reynolds Averaged Navier Stokes (RANS) equations using the commercial CFD solver ANSYS Fluent v.15. The numerical results were then validated by comparing to experiment data and good agreement was observed. The results reveal that the classical endwall secondary flows (endwall crossflows, horseshoe and passage vortices) are weakened and a unique auxiliary vortex system develops within the passage and interacts with the weakened horseshoe vortex. It is observed that heat transfer in the first half of the passage endwall is heavily influenced by this auxiliary vortex system. Heat transfer augmentation of between 15% and 40% was also observed throughout the NGV endwall. Furthermore, the auxiliary vortex system results in a delayed cross-passage migration of the horseshoe vortex which consequently results in large lateral gradient in heat transfer downstream of the throat.

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