Transient analysis of H-type Vertical Axis Wind Turbines using CFD

Abstract

In this study, the effect of various parameters on the start-up and transient behavior of Darrieus straight-bladed Vertical Axis Wind Turbine (VAWT) was analyzed. Airfoil profile, angle-of-attack, and chord length were varied, yielding two optimal turbines, one for transient and another for steady performance. This optimization revealed that the chord length (solidity) has the most significant impact on the performance of the turbine undergoing both transient and steady operations. An examination of the contribution of drag and lift forces to the startup of these two optimized turbines shows that the drag has a positive contribution to the performance of the transient optimized turbine especially at high TSRs. The performance of the optimized turbines when subject to four different wind profiles: a real wind profile, and three distinct sinusoidal profiles was also assessed. At low average wind speeds, a high frequency of the incoming wind is favorable for allowing both optimized turbines to produce more power. The rotor behavior under dynamic loads was also investigated, demonstrating that the transient optimized turbine is more responsive and therefore easier to control. In addition, minimizing the inertia of the steady-optimized turbine significantly improves its startup characteristics, making it superior to its steady-optimized counterpart.