Proposal of a Means for Reducing the Torque Variation on a Vertical-Axis Water Turbine by Increasing the Blade Number
This paper presents a means for reducing the torque
variation during the revolution of a vertical-axis water turbine
(VAWaterT) by increasing the blade number. For this purpose, twodimensional
CFD analyses have been performed on a straight-bladed
Darrieus-type rotor. After describing the computational model and
the relative validation procedure, a complete campaign of
simulations, based on full RANS unsteady calculations, is proposed
for a three, four and five-bladed rotor architectures, characterized by
a NACA 0025 airfoil. For each proposed rotor configuration, flow
field characteristics are investigated at several values of tip speed
ratio, allowing a quantification of the influence of blade number on
flow geometric features and dynamic quantities, such as rotor torque
and power. Finally, torque and power curves are compared for the
three analyzed architectures, achieving a quantification of the effect
of blade number on overall rotor performance.
[1] I. Parschivoiu, Wind Turbine Design: With Emphasis on Darrieus
Concept, Presses Internationales Polytechnique, Montreal, 2002.
[2] G. J. M. Darrieus, "Turbine having its Rotating Shaft Transverse to the
Flow of the Current", U.S. Patent No. 1,835,018, issued on Dec. 8,
1931.
[3] M. J. Khan, M. T. Iqbal and J. E. Quaicoe, "Design Considerations of a
Straight Bladed Darrieus Rotor for River Current Turbines", IEEE
International Symposium on Industrial Electronics, Montreal (Quebec),
9-13 July, 2006.
[4] Y. M. Dai and W. Lam, "Numerical study of straight-blade Darrieustype
tidal turbine", Energy 162, May 2009.
[5] M. J. Khan, G. Bhuyan, M. T. Iqbal and J. E. Quaicoe, "Hydrokinetic
energy conversion systems and assessment of horizontal and vertical
axis wind turbines for river and tidal applications: A technology status
review", Applied Energy 86, pp. 1823-1835, 2009.
[6] B. K. Kirke and L. Lazauskas, "Limitations of fixed pitch Darrieus
hydrokinetic turbines and the challenge of variable pitch", Renevable
Energy 36, pp. 893-897, 2011.
[7] Y. Kyozuka, "An Experimental Study on the Darrieus-Savonius Turbine
for the Tidal Current Power Generation", Journal of Fluid Science and
Technology, Vol. 3, pp.439-449, 2008.
[8] M. J. Khan, M. T. Iqbal and J. E. Quaicoe, "River current energy
conversion systems: Progress, prospects and challenges", Renewable
and Sustainable Energy Reviews 12, pp. 2177-2193, 2008.
[9] R. Howell, N. Qin, J. Edwards and N. Durrani, "Wind tunnel and
numerical study of a small vertical axis wind turbine", Renewable
Energy 35, 2010.
[10] S. Li and Y. Li, "Numerical study on the performance effects of solidity
on the straight-bladed vertical axes wind turbine", Asia-Pacific Power
and Energy Engineering Conference (APPEEC), Chengdu (China), 28-
31 March, 2010.
[11] J. H. Strickland: "The Darrieus turbine: a performance prediction model
using multiple streamtube", SAND 75e0431, 1975.
[12] S. Ferreira, H., Bijl, G. van Bussel and G. van Kuik, "Simulating
dynamic stall in a 2D VAWT: modeling strategy, verification and
validation with particle image velocimetry data", Journal of Physics:
Conference Series 75 (2007), 012023.
[13] Fluent Inc., Fluent User-s Manual, pp. 193-194, 2006.
[14] R. M. Cummings, J. R. Forsythe, S. A. Morton and K. D. Squires,
"Computational challenges in high angle of attack flow prediction",
Progress in Aerospace Sciences, Vol. 39, No. 5. (July 2003), pp. 369-
384.
[15] M. McMullen, A. Jameson and J. J. Alonso, "Acceleration of
convergence to a periodic steady state in turbomachinery flows", 39th
AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting & Exhibit, Reno (Nevada), January
8-11, 2001.
[16] M. Raciti Castelli, A. Englaro and E. Benini, "The Darrieus wind
turbine: Proposal for new performance prediction model based on
CFD", Energy, Volume 36, Issue 8, August 2011.
[17] G. H. Yu, X. C. Zhu and Z. H. Du, "Numerical simulation of a wind
turbine airfoil: dynamic stall and comparison with experiments", Power
and Energy Journal, Vol. 224, 2010.
[18] M. Raciti Castelli, S. De Betta and E. Benini, "Effect of Blade Number
on a Straight-Bladed Vertical-Axis Darrieus Wind Turbine", World
Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology, Issue 61, January
2012, pp. 305-311.
[19] M. Raciti Castelli, E. Benini, Effect of Blade Inclination Angle on a
Darrieus Wind Turbine, Journal of Turbomachinery, May 2012, Vol.
134, 031016-1-10.
[1] I. Parschivoiu, Wind Turbine Design: With Emphasis on Darrieus
Concept, Presses Internationales Polytechnique, Montreal, 2002.
[2] G. J. M. Darrieus, "Turbine having its Rotating Shaft Transverse to the
Flow of the Current", U.S. Patent No. 1,835,018, issued on Dec. 8,
1931.
[3] M. J. Khan, M. T. Iqbal and J. E. Quaicoe, "Design Considerations of a
Straight Bladed Darrieus Rotor for River Current Turbines", IEEE
International Symposium on Industrial Electronics, Montreal (Quebec),
9-13 July, 2006.
[4] Y. M. Dai and W. Lam, "Numerical study of straight-blade Darrieustype
tidal turbine", Energy 162, May 2009.
[5] M. J. Khan, G. Bhuyan, M. T. Iqbal and J. E. Quaicoe, "Hydrokinetic
energy conversion systems and assessment of horizontal and vertical
axis wind turbines for river and tidal applications: A technology status
review", Applied Energy 86, pp. 1823-1835, 2009.
[6] B. K. Kirke and L. Lazauskas, "Limitations of fixed pitch Darrieus
hydrokinetic turbines and the challenge of variable pitch", Renevable
Energy 36, pp. 893-897, 2011.
[7] Y. Kyozuka, "An Experimental Study on the Darrieus-Savonius Turbine
for the Tidal Current Power Generation", Journal of Fluid Science and
Technology, Vol. 3, pp.439-449, 2008.
[8] M. J. Khan, M. T. Iqbal and J. E. Quaicoe, "River current energy
conversion systems: Progress, prospects and challenges", Renewable
and Sustainable Energy Reviews 12, pp. 2177-2193, 2008.
[9] R. Howell, N. Qin, J. Edwards and N. Durrani, "Wind tunnel and
numerical study of a small vertical axis wind turbine", Renewable
Energy 35, 2010.
[10] S. Li and Y. Li, "Numerical study on the performance effects of solidity
on the straight-bladed vertical axes wind turbine", Asia-Pacific Power
and Energy Engineering Conference (APPEEC), Chengdu (China), 28-
31 March, 2010.
[11] J. H. Strickland: "The Darrieus turbine: a performance prediction model
using multiple streamtube", SAND 75e0431, 1975.
[12] S. Ferreira, H., Bijl, G. van Bussel and G. van Kuik, "Simulating
dynamic stall in a 2D VAWT: modeling strategy, verification and
validation with particle image velocimetry data", Journal of Physics:
Conference Series 75 (2007), 012023.
[13] Fluent Inc., Fluent User-s Manual, pp. 193-194, 2006.
[14] R. M. Cummings, J. R. Forsythe, S. A. Morton and K. D. Squires,
"Computational challenges in high angle of attack flow prediction",
Progress in Aerospace Sciences, Vol. 39, No. 5. (July 2003), pp. 369-
384.
[15] M. McMullen, A. Jameson and J. J. Alonso, "Acceleration of
convergence to a periodic steady state in turbomachinery flows", 39th
AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting & Exhibit, Reno (Nevada), January
8-11, 2001.
[16] M. Raciti Castelli, A. Englaro and E. Benini, "The Darrieus wind
turbine: Proposal for new performance prediction model based on
CFD", Energy, Volume 36, Issue 8, August 2011.
[17] G. H. Yu, X. C. Zhu and Z. H. Du, "Numerical simulation of a wind
turbine airfoil: dynamic stall and comparison with experiments", Power
and Energy Journal, Vol. 224, 2010.
[18] M. Raciti Castelli, S. De Betta and E. Benini, "Effect of Blade Number
on a Straight-Bladed Vertical-Axis Darrieus Wind Turbine", World
Academy of Science, Engineering and Technology, Issue 61, January
2012, pp. 305-311.
[19] M. Raciti Castelli, E. Benini, Effect of Blade Inclination Angle on a
Darrieus Wind Turbine, Journal of Turbomachinery, May 2012, Vol.
134, 031016-1-10.
@article{"International Journal of Mechanical, Industrial and Aerospace Sciences:49645", author = "M. Raciti Castelli and S. De Betta and E. Benini", title = "Proposal of a Means for Reducing the Torque Variation on a Vertical-Axis Water Turbine by Increasing the Blade Number", abstract = "This paper presents a means for reducing the torque
variation during the revolution of a vertical-axis water turbine
(VAWaterT) by increasing the blade number. For this purpose, twodimensional
CFD analyses have been performed on a straight-bladed
Darrieus-type rotor. After describing the computational model and
the relative validation procedure, a complete campaign of
simulations, based on full RANS unsteady calculations, is proposed
for a three, four and five-bladed rotor architectures, characterized by
a NACA 0025 airfoil. For each proposed rotor configuration, flow
field characteristics are investigated at several values of tip speed
ratio, allowing a quantification of the influence of blade number on
flow geometric features and dynamic quantities, such as rotor torque
and power. Finally, torque and power curves are compared for the
three analyzed architectures, achieving a quantification of the effect
of blade number on overall rotor performance.", keywords = "Vertical-Axis Water Turbine, rotor solidity, CFD,
NACA 0025", volume = "6", number = "4", pages = "750-7", }
