Abstract
The Algerian Sahara is characterized by severe climate conditions where temperature reaches high levels with large variations during day and season. Nacelles of horizontal axis wind turbines (HAWT) operating in this region are subjected to the overheating problem, in particular the electromechanical components becoming less effective as they heat up during use. In order to maintain an appropriate temperature of the air within the nacelle, an active cooling system has to be set up to reject the generated heat towards the external environment and the resulting heat transfer must be properly controlled. The present work investigates the thermal behavior of the nacelle of a typical commercial wind turbine. The impact of radiation and turbulent natural convection heat transfer within the nacelle has been investigated numerically using ANSYS FLUENT code, whereas the forced convection heat exchange with the surrounding environment has been modeled using a suitable correlation. Temperature and velocity profiles within the nacelle have been presented and discussed. Variations of the average temperature inside the nacelle and the required cooling capacity are determined and thoroughly discussed.
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