Comparison of the Computational Fluid Dynamics Predictions of Vertical Axis Wind Turbine Performance Against Detailed Pressure Measurements

Abstract

Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations are currently one of the most popular methods for the modelling of a Vertical Axis Wind Turbine (VAWT) that gives good insight on the turbine aerodynamics. The current study provides an assessment of the quality of the 2D and 3D CFD predictions of two highly recommended models in the literature, namely the SST K-omega model and the SST K-omega with the Intermittency transition model. The novelty of the study is in the kind of data that is used in the assessment. The CFD predictions of the pressure around the blade at several azimuthal angles are compared to the published experimental data measured by a high-frequency multiport pressure scanner. In addition, the predictions of the pressure contribution to the instantaneous power coefficient are compared to the experimental data. This paper sheds much new light on how the behaviour of the predictions of the SST K-omega with the intermittency transition model changes between the 2D and 3D cases and how the trends of the 2D results based on this transition model deviate from the detailed experimental data. This behaviour has not been previously investigated.