Abstract
Abstract. The impetus towards sustainable energy production and energy access has led to considerable research and development on decentralized generators, in particular diffuser-augmented wind turbines. This paper aims to characterize the performance of diffuser-augmented wind turbines (DAWTs) using high-lift airfoils employing a three-step computational analysis. The study is based on computational fluid dynamics, and the analysis is carried out by solving the unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes (URANS) equations in two dimensions. The rotor blades are modeled as an actuator disk, across which a pressure drop is imposed analogous to a three-dimensional rotor. We study the change in performance of the enclosed turbine with varying diffuser cross-sectional geometry. In particular, this paper characterizes the effect of a flange on the flow augmentation provided by the diffuser. We conclude that at the end of the three-step analysis, Eppler 423 showed the maximum velocity augmentation.
Highlights
Global energy demand is expected to more than double by 2050 due to the growth in population and development of economies (Gielen et al, 2019)
Diffuser-augmented wind turbines (DAWTs) have the ability to increase the power extracted by the wind turbine by virtue of increased mass flow rate through the rotor plane, improved wake mixing with the external flow, and lastly, improved performance even in cases where the flow may not be purely axial in nature
The camber and thickness (t) are represented as ratios, while the velocity at the actuator disk (AD) has been normalized with respect to the free-stream velocity of 6 m s−1
Summary
Global energy demand is expected to more than double by 2050 due to the growth in population and development of economies (Gielen et al, 2019). Wind turbines are typically installed away from populated areas because of visual and noise regulations (Pedersen and Persson Waye, 2004). This necessitates the transfer of electricity via grids over more considerable distances, increasing the levelized cost of electricity. While large wind turbines are placed where the wind topology is optimum, smaller wind turbines are locally built to supply power to meet the local energy demands. Diffuser-augmented wind turbines (DAWTs) have the ability to increase the power extracted by the wind turbine by virtue of increased mass flow rate through the rotor plane, improved wake mixing with the external flow, and lastly, improved performance even in cases where the flow may not be purely axial in nature
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