Abstract
In the present work, the recent developed Unsteady Double Wake Model, USDWM, is used to simulate separated flows past a wind turbine airfoil at high angles of attack. The solver is basically an unsteady two-dimensional panel method which uses the unsteady double wake technique to model flow separation and its dynamics. In this paper, the calculated integral forces have been successfully validated against wind tunnel measurements for the FFA-W3-211 airfoil. Furthermore, the computed highly unsteady flow field is analyzed in detail for a set of angles of attack ranging from light to deep stall conditions.
Highlights
Airfoil aerodynamics is one of the key subjects in the wind energy field
With the fast growing wind turbine dimensions new challenges have arisen for scientists and engineers in the sector; thick airfoils, high Reynolds numbers and sub-sonic flow conditions are some of the new obstacles that the wind energy community is facing
Besides the new challenges, flow separation, which has been one of the main difficulties faced by aerodynamicist in the last decades, remains a hot-topic nowadays
Summary
Airfoil aerodynamics is one of the key subjects in the wind energy field. With the fast growing wind turbine dimensions new challenges have arisen for scientists and engineers in the sector; thick airfoils, high Reynolds numbers and sub-sonic flow conditions are some of the new obstacles that the wind energy community is facing. With the aim of capturing the overall physics of separated flows over airfoils using vortex theory, Maskew and Dvorak [1] developed a simplified model based in an inviscid flow solver, or panel method, which could accurately simulate steady flows around airfoils at high angles of attack. Following this idea, Marion et al [2] developed a similar model focusing in the deep stall region. For more detailed information about the USDWM the reader is kindly referred to the work carried by Antoine [6] during his stay at DTU Wind Energy
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary 
Published Version
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call