Abstract
In this study, the performance of an Archimedes spiral wind turbine is analyzed by simulation and validated by a field test. It is characterized as a horizontal-axis drag-type wind turbine. This type of wind turbine cannot be analyzed by the well-known Blade Element Momentum(BEM) theory or Double Stream Tube Method(DSTM) commonly used to analyze the performance of lift-type wind turbines. Therefore, the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method was applied. From the simulation, the power coefficient, known as the mechanical efficiency of the rotor, the tip speed ratio was obtained. The maximum power coefficient, and the corresponding tip speed ratio were found to be 0.293 and 2.19, respectively. In addition, the electrical efficiency with respect to the rotational speed of the generator was obtained through generator–controller test. The obtained mechanical and electrical efficiencies were used to predict the power curve of the wind turbine. Finally, the predicted performance of the wind turbine, including the electrical losses, was validated by the field test. The maximum error between the prediction and the measured power was found to be less than 7.80%.
Highlights
As the global demand for wind energy increased, the cumulative installed capacity of wind turbines as of 2018 reached 595 GW in the world [1,2]
For horizontal-axis lift-type turbines, they operate under the same principle and shape as a large wind turbine, but for vertical-axis lift-type turbines, the rotor rotates about an axis parallel to the tower by the lift generated from the blade surface
For general horizontal axis lift type wind turbines, commercial analysis programs based on blade element momentum theory [6], are used to predict their performance
Summary
As the global demand for wind energy increased, the cumulative installed capacity of wind turbines as of 2018 reached 595 GW in the world [1,2]. For general horizontal axis lift type wind turbines, commercial analysis programs based on blade element momentum theory [6], are used to predict their performance. Shinohara and Ishimatsu [15] predicted the output performance of a Savonius-type wind turbine by CFD simulation and verified the results by an experimental method using small-scaled lab-scale wind tunnel. The performance prediction methods for drag-type wind turbines using CFD programs were appropriate for simulation; there were limitations when validating the simulation results with experimental tests using a scaled model Their experiments performed at a laboratory scale could not reflect the behavior of the actual wind turbine because of the electrical components like generator-inverter without considering electrical losses and turbine control algorithm.
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