Investigations of Vertical-Axis Wind-Turbine Group Synergy Using an Actuator Line Model
The presence of power augmentation effects, or synergy, in vertical-axis wind turbines (VAWTs) offers unique opportunities for enhancing wind-farm performance. This paper uses an open-source actuator-line-method (ALM) code library for OpenFOAM (turbinesFoam) to conduct an investigation into the syne...
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2022-08-01
|
| Series: | Energies |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/15/17/6211 |
| _version_ | 1797495651283501056 |
|---|---|
| author | Ji Hao Zhang Fue-Sang Lien Eugene Yee |
| author_facet | Ji Hao Zhang Fue-Sang Lien Eugene Yee |
| author_sort | Ji Hao Zhang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The presence of power augmentation effects, or synergy, in vertical-axis wind turbines (VAWTs) offers unique opportunities for enhancing wind-farm performance. This paper uses an open-source actuator-line-method (ALM) code library for OpenFOAM (turbinesFoam) to conduct an investigation into the synergy patterns within two- and three-turbine VAWT arrays. The application of ALM greatly reduces the computational cost of simulating VAWTs by modelling turbines as momentum source terms in the Navier–Stokes equations. In conjunction with an unsteady Reynolds-Averaged Navier–Stokes (URANS) approach using the <i>k</i>-<inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mi>ω</mi></semantics></math></inline-formula> shear stress transport (SST) turbulence model, the ALM has proven capable of predicting VAWT synergy. The synergy of multi-turbine cases is characterized using the power ratio which is defined as the power coefficient of the turbine cluster normalized by that for turbines in isolated operation. The variation of the power ratio is characterized with respect to the array layout parameters, and connections are drawn with previous investigations, showing good agreement. The results from 108 two-turbine and 40 three-turbine configurations obtained using ALM are visualized and analyzed to augment the understanding of the VAWT synergy landscape, demonstrating the effectiveness of various layouts. A novel synergy superposition scheme is proposed for approximating three-turbine synergy using pairwise interactions, and it is shown to be remarkably accurate. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T01:52:41Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-29f7580b5b4344d4877b9694d057c19c |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1996-1073 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T01:52:41Z |
| publishDate | 2022-08-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Energies |
| spelling | doaj.art-29f7580b5b4344d4877b9694d057c19c2023-11-23T13:02:11ZengMDPI AGEnergies1996-10732022-08-011517621110.3390/en15176211Investigations of Vertical-Axis Wind-Turbine Group Synergy Using an Actuator Line ModelJi Hao Zhang0Fue-Sang Lien1Eugene Yee2Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, CanadaMechanical and Mechatronics Engineering, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, CanadaMechanical and Mechatronics Engineering, University of Waterloo, 200 University Avenue West, Waterloo, ON N2L 3G1, CanadaThe presence of power augmentation effects, or synergy, in vertical-axis wind turbines (VAWTs) offers unique opportunities for enhancing wind-farm performance. This paper uses an open-source actuator-line-method (ALM) code library for OpenFOAM (turbinesFoam) to conduct an investigation into the synergy patterns within two- and three-turbine VAWT arrays. The application of ALM greatly reduces the computational cost of simulating VAWTs by modelling turbines as momentum source terms in the Navier–Stokes equations. In conjunction with an unsteady Reynolds-Averaged Navier–Stokes (URANS) approach using the <i>k</i>-<inline-formula><math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="inline"><semantics><mi>ω</mi></semantics></math></inline-formula> shear stress transport (SST) turbulence model, the ALM has proven capable of predicting VAWT synergy. The synergy of multi-turbine cases is characterized using the power ratio which is defined as the power coefficient of the turbine cluster normalized by that for turbines in isolated operation. The variation of the power ratio is characterized with respect to the array layout parameters, and connections are drawn with previous investigations, showing good agreement. The results from 108 two-turbine and 40 three-turbine configurations obtained using ALM are visualized and analyzed to augment the understanding of the VAWT synergy landscape, demonstrating the effectiveness of various layouts. A novel synergy superposition scheme is proposed for approximating three-turbine synergy using pairwise interactions, and it is shown to be remarkably accurate.https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/15/17/6211actuator line methodOpenFOAMsynergyvertical-axis wind turbinewind energy |
| spellingShingle | Ji Hao Zhang Fue-Sang Lien Eugene Yee Investigations of Vertical-Axis Wind-Turbine Group Synergy Using an Actuator Line Model Energies actuator line method OpenFOAM synergy vertical-axis wind turbine wind energy |
| title | Investigations of Vertical-Axis Wind-Turbine Group Synergy Using an Actuator Line Model |
| title_full | Investigations of Vertical-Axis Wind-Turbine Group Synergy Using an Actuator Line Model |
| title_fullStr | Investigations of Vertical-Axis Wind-Turbine Group Synergy Using an Actuator Line Model |
| title_full_unstemmed | Investigations of Vertical-Axis Wind-Turbine Group Synergy Using an Actuator Line Model |
| title_short | Investigations of Vertical-Axis Wind-Turbine Group Synergy Using an Actuator Line Model |
| title_sort | investigations of vertical axis wind turbine group synergy using an actuator line model |
| topic | actuator line method OpenFOAM synergy vertical-axis wind turbine wind energy |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/15/17/6211 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT jihaozhang investigationsofverticalaxiswindturbinegroupsynergyusinganactuatorlinemodel AT fuesanglien investigationsofverticalaxiswindturbinegroupsynergyusinganactuatorlinemodel AT eugeneyee investigationsofverticalaxiswindturbinegroupsynergyusinganactuatorlinemodel |