Computational fluid dynamic and response surface methodology coupling: A new method for optimization of the duct to be used in ducted wind turbines

Abstract

Wind energy technology, particularly power generation by wind turbines, has received substantial attention due to resource depletion and global warming concerns. These concerns highlight the importance of conducting studies to enhance their efficiency by increasing their power output. The goal of this work was to combine the RSM (Response Surface Methodology (RSM) with CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) to discover the optimal design parameters and conditions for ducted wind turbines. To that purpose, twenty-seven runs were chosen using Central Composite Design (CCD) in the design phase. Duct simulation was performed by employing different dimensional parameters and feeding them into a third-order polynomial that fitted to an eight-order function. The analyzed runs discussed the maximum available wind velocity and power at the throat area of the various designed ducts. The wind-enhanced power and speed were studied under different design parameters, and their effects were discussed. The optimum design conditions to capture maximum power were 0.16 m, 2, and 1.5 for design parameters of the duct's throat diameter, contraction ratio, and length-to-throat diameter ratio, respectively. A good selection of design parameters can increase the outpour power up to six times as a general result. By modeling CFD simulations using the RSM method, it is possible to minimize the time and cost of calculation to find the optimized range for the design parameters of the ducts.