Efficiency and Feasibility Analysis of Wind Turbines in Tandem in a Vortex Tube

Abstract

Polar scientific research is of great importance for the human. The exploitable wind energy of the polar region accounts for more than 20% in the worldwide sense. However, the harsh polar storms, extreme wind speed (up to 100 m/s), ice crystals and sand in the wind all hinder the exploitation of wind resources. Therefore, in order to protect the power generation infrastructure and to maximize the power generation window, this paper proposes an innovative concept of power generation first. This concept, placing multi wind turbines in tandem in a vortex tube, is based on the Venturi principle which allows the wind in a funnel-shaped air inlet to accelerate. Meanwhile, the large-scale vortices and associated turbulent kinetic energy in the tube are diminished through the inlet honeycomb grid, thus driving the multi-turbines in tandem to generate more power. Second, to verify the efficiency of this concept, the CFD simulation technology is employed to investigate the wake characteristics in two distinct flow fields, namely the open space and the vortex tube space. The simulation results are then compared with prototype site tests. The comparison confirms the superior performance of this vortex tube scheme accommodating multi-turbines and the use of a honeycomb at the inlet.