Numerical Investigation Into the Energy Extraction Characteristics of Parallel Dual-Foil Turbine

Abstract

A new concept of power generator using two oscillating foils in parallel configuration to extract energy from fluid is proposed and numerically tested in the present study. The theoretical performance of the turbine in this form is investigated through unsteady two-dimensional laminar-flow Navier-Stokes simulations. The effect of the interaction between the two foils is studied at different pitching amplitudes and phase differences between the two foils. The energy extraction performance, instantaneous force coefficients and flow details are compared between single foil and dual foils, and thus the mechanism of performance improvement by wing-in-ground effect is revealed. Two different kinds of asymmetric sinusoidal motions are utilized to further improve the performance of the turbine. Numerical results indicate that anti-phase mode can achieve higher power coefficient than the in-phase mode. The contracted passage under anti-phase mode helps produce larger lift force and power coefficient. The maximum power coefficient per foil for anti-phase dual foils is 1.4% higher than that of single foil. The asymmetric sinusoidal pitching motion in phase can improve the synchronization between plunging velocity and lift force and thus further enhance the energy extraction performance by 1.3%. Besides, the pitching motion with asymmetric amplitude also can increase the power coefficient somehow, but the improvement is very limited.