Numerical and Experimental Study of the 3D Effect on Connecting Arm of Vertical Axis Tidal Current Turbine

Vertical axis tidal current turbine is a promising device to extract energy from ocean current. One of the important components of the turbine is the connecting arm, which can bring about a significant effect on the pressure distribution along the span of the turbine blade, herein we call it 3D effe...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inChina ocean engineering Vol. 30; no. 1; pp. 83 - 96
Main Author 郭伟 康海贵 陈兵 谢宇 王胤
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Nanjing Chinese Ocean Engineering Society 01.03.2016
Subjects
Coastal Sciences
Engineering
Fluid- and Aerodynamics
Marine & Freshwater Sciences
Numerical and Computational Physics
Oceanography
Offshore Engineering
Simulation
三维效应
三维数值模型
垂直轴
实验
数值模拟
水轮机
潮流发电
连接臂
3D numerical simulation
connecting arm
laboratory experimental study
vertical axis tidal current turbine
UDF
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Summary:Vertical axis tidal current turbine is a promising device to extract energy from ocean current. One of the important components of the turbine is the connecting arm, which can bring about a significant effect on the pressure distribution along the span of the turbine blade, herein we call it 3D effect. However, so far the effect is rarely reported in the research, moreover, in numerical simulation. In the present study, a 3D numerical model of the turbine with the connecting arm was developed by using FLUENT software compiling the UDF（User Defined Function） command. The simulation results show that the pressure distribution along the span of blade with the connecting arm model is significantly different from those without the connecting arm. To facilitate the validation of numerical model, the laboratory experiment has been carried out by using three different types of NACA aerofoil connecting arm and circle section connecting arm. And results show that the turbine with NACA0012 connecting arm has the best start-up performance which is 0.346 m/s and the peak point of power conversion coefficient is around 0.33. A further study has been performed and a conclusion is drawn that the aerofoil and thickness of connecting arm are the most important factors on the power conversion coefficient of the vertical axis tidal current turbine.
Bibliography:32-1441/P
GUO Wei,KANG Hai-gui, CHEN Bing, XIE Yu,WANG Yin （a School of Hydraulic Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China; b School of Civil Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China）
connecting arm vertical axis tidal current turbine laboratory experimental study 3D numerical simulation UDF
Vertical axis tidal current turbine is a promising device to extract energy from ocean current. One of the important components of the turbine is the connecting arm, which can bring about a significant effect on the pressure distribution along the span of the turbine blade, herein we call it 3D effect. However, so far the effect is rarely reported in the research, moreover, in numerical simulation. In the present study, a 3D numerical model of the turbine with the connecting arm was developed by using FLUENT software compiling the UDF（User Defined Function） command. The simulation results show that the pressure distribution along the span of blade with the connecting arm model is significantly different from those without the connecting arm. To facilitate the validation of numerical model, the laboratory experiment has been carried out by using three different types of NACA aerofoil connecting arm and circle section connecting arm. And results show that the turbine with NACA0012 connecting arm has the best start-up performance which is 0.346 m/s and the peak point of power conversion coefficient is around 0.33. A further study has been performed and a conclusion is drawn that the aerofoil and thickness of connecting arm are the most important factors on the power conversion coefficient of the vertical axis tidal current turbine.
ISSN:0890-5487
2191-8945
DOI:10.1007/s13344-015-0080-5