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The aerodynamic performance of a NACA 633‐418 airfoil has been analyzed with disturbances in approximately 1000 different configurations focused on the frontal 10% of the airfoil. The configuration parameters are based on field test samples and rain erosion test specimens. The most important trends are presented by 500 configurations each simulated for 6°, 8°, and 10° angle of attack. The simulations are performed with the DTU Wind Energy in‐house 2D CFD Reynolds‐averaged Navier–Stokes solver, EllipSys2D, combined with the eN transition model for the laminar‐turbulent boundary layer transition. The configurations are modeled by a direct geometrical modification of the airfoil shape. The results show that the most important parameters are the position and the depth/height of the disturbance, with up to 35% lift reduction and 90% lift/drag reduction within the specified angle of attacks and disturbance parameter ranges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The implementation of a model to simulate distributed surface roughness, which is the newk−ωextension by Knopp et al. into the DTU Wind Energy in‐house CFD Reynolds‐Average Naviar Stokes solver EllipSys, was validated against wind tunnel experiments conducted in the Laminar Wind Tunnel of the Institute of Aerodynamics and Gas Dynamics, University of Stuttgart. The effort was to predict the aerodynamic penalty of five cases of leading edge roughness applied to a NACA 633‐418. Three cases were sandpaper, and two cases were turbulators/zigzag tape. Simulation of the sandpaper cases showed some agreement in the tendencies of decreased lift and increased drag as a function of angle of attack. However, the magnitudes of the aerodynamic changes were predicted and underestimated the lift and overestimated the drag. Modeling the zigzag tape using the roughness model was not successful, because the influence from the model was too small. The simulated zigzag tape hardly deviated from the fully turbulent simulation, so when using the model in its current form, one should be aware of its limitations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spectral analysis was performed on the time series data computed from pressure measurements on the New MEXICO (Model Rotor Experiments under Controlled Conditions) rotor in standstill conditions. As a priori, 3D airfoil polars were recreated from standstill measurements and compared against 2D airfoil polars and flat plate theory results to verify the measurements. The spectral analysis revealed the presence of dominant shedding frequencies for certain ranges of the geometric angle of attack. Two dominant shedding modes were identified: One was associated with bluff body vortex shedding, and the other was associated with low Strouhal number shedding. No dominant shedding frequencies were observed for angles of attack beyond 50°. The research improves on our current understanding of the unsteady nature of the stall regime, along with providing insight into the existence of vortex‐induced vibrations on a wind turbine in standstill conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new k- ϵ model is introduced that is consistent with Monin-Obukhov similarity theory (MOST). The proposed k- ϵ model is compared with another k- ϵ model that was developed in an attempt to maintain inlet profiles compatible with MOST. It is shown that the previous k- ϵ model is not consistent with MOST for unstable conditions, while the proposed k- ϵ model can maintain MOST inlet profiles over distances of 50km. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vortex generators (VGs) are used increasingly by the wind turbine industry as flow control devices to improve rotor blade performance. According to experimental observations, the vortices generated by VGs have previously been observed to be self-similar for both the axial ( u z) and azimuthal ( u θ) velocity components. Furthermore, the measured vortices have been observed to obey the criteria for helical symmetry. These are powerful results, as it reduces the highly complex 3-D flow to merely four parameters and therefore significantly facilitates the modeling of this type of flow, which in a larger perspective can assist in parametric studies to increase the total power output of wind turbines. In this study, corresponding computer simulations using Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equations have been carried out and compared with the experimental observations. The main objective is to investigate how well the simulations can reproduce these aspects of the physics of the flow, i.e., investigate if the same analytical model can be applied and therefore significantly facilitate the modeling of this type of flow, which in a larger perspective can assist in parametric studies to increase the total power output of wind turbines. This is especially interesting since these types of flows are notoriously difficult for the turbulence models to predict correctly. Using this model, parametric studies can be significantly reduced, and moreover, reliable simulations can substantially reduce the costs of the parametric studies themselves. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents an investigation of two well-known aerodynamic phenomena, rotational augmentation and dynamic stall, together in the inboard parts of wind turbine blades. This analysis is carried out using the following: (1) the National Renewable Energy Laboratory's Unsteady Aerodynamics Experiment Phase VI experimental data, including constant as well as continuously pitching blade conditions during axial operation; (2) data from unsteady delayed detached eddy simulations (DDES) carried out using the Technical University of Denmark's in-house flow solver Ellipsys3D; and (3) data from a reduced order dynamic stall model that uses rotationally augmented steady-state polars obtained from steady Phase VI experimental sequences, instead of the traditional two-dimensional, non-rotating data. The aim of this work is twofold. First, the blade loads estimated by the DDES simulations are compared with three select cases of the N-sequence experimental data, which serves as a validation of the DDES method. Results show reasonable agreement between the two data in two out of three cases studied. Second, the dynamic time series of the lift and the moment polars obtained from the experiments are compared with those from the dynamic stall model. This allowed the differences between the stall phenomenon on the inboard parts of harmonically pitching blades on a rotating wind turbine and the classic dynamic stall representation in two-dimensional flow to be investigated. Results indicated a good qualitative agreement between the model and the experimental data in many cases, which suggests that the current two-dimensional dynamic stall model as used in blade element momentum-based aeroelastic codes may provide a reasonably accurate representation of three-dimensional rotor aerodynamics when used in combination with a robust rotational augmentation model. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recently developed k- ϵ- f P eddy-viscosity model is applied to one on-shore and two off-shore wind farms. The results are compared with power measurements and results of the standard k- ϵ eddy-viscosity model. In addition, the wind direction uncertainty of the measurements is used to correct the model results with a Gaussian filter. The standard k- ϵ eddy-viscosity model underpredicts the power deficit of the first downstream wind turbines, whereas the k- ϵ- f P eddy-viscosity model shows a good agreement with the measurements. However, the difference in the power deficit predicted by the turbulence models becomes smaller for wind turbines that are located further downstream. Moreover, the difference between the capability of the turbulence models to estimate the wind farm efficiency reduces with increasing wind farm size and wind turbine spacing. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The newly developed k- ε- f P eddy viscosity model is applied to double wind turbine wake configurations in a neutral atmospheric boundary layer, using a Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes solver. The wind turbines are represented by actuator disks. A proposed variable actuator disk force method is employed to estimate the power production of the interacting wind turbines, and the results are compared with two existing methods: a method based on tabulated airfoil data and a method based on the axial induction from 1D momentum theory. The proposed method calculates the correct power, while the other two methods overpredict it. The results of the k- ε- f P eddy viscosity model are also compared with the original k- ε eddy viscosity model and large-eddy simulations. Compared to the large-eddy simulations-predicted velocity and power deficits, the k- ε- f P is superior to the original k- ε model. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The wake of the 5MW reference wind turbine designed by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is simulated using computational fluid dynamics with a fully resolved rotor geometry, an actuator line method and an actuator disc method, respectively. Simulations are carried out prescribing both uniform and turbulent inflows, and the wake properties predicted by the three models are compared. In uniform inflow, the wake properties predicted by the actuator disc and line methods are found to be in very close agreement but differ significantly from the wake of the fully resolved rotor, which is characterized by much higher turbulence levels. In the simulations with turbulent inflow, the wake characteristics predicted by the three methods are in close agreement, indicating that the differences observed in uniform inflow do not play an important role if the inflow is turbulent. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An improved k- ϵ turbulence model is developed and applied to a single wind turbine wake in a neutral atmospheric boundary layer using a Reynolds averaged Navier-Stokes solver. The proposed model includes a flow-dependent C μ that is sensitive to high velocity gradients, e.g., at the edge of a wind turbine wake. The modified k- ϵ model is compared with the original k- ϵ eddy viscosity model, Large-Eddy Simulations and field measurements using eight test cases. The comparison shows that the velocity wake deficits, predicted by the proposed model are much closer to the ones calculated by the Large-Eddy Simulation and those observed in the measurements, than predicted by the original k- ϵ model. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work presents an analysis of data from existing as well as new full-rotor computational fluid dynamics computations on the MEXICO rotor, with focus on the flow around the inboard parts of the blades. The boundary layer separation characteristics on the airfoil sections in the inboard parts of the rotor are analysed using the pressure and the skin friction data at a range of angles of attack. These data are used to gain insight on the relative behaviour of separated boundary layers in 3D flow compared with 2D flow. It has been found that separation on airfoils in rotating flows is different from that in 2D flows in two respects: (i) there is a chord-wise postponement (or delay) of the separation point, and (ii) the angle of attack at which separation is initiated is higher in 3D compared with 2D. Comments are made on the mechanism of stall delay, and the main differences between the skin friction and pressure distribution behaviours in 2D and 3D rotating flows are highlighted. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work presents an analysis of vortex-induced vibrations of a DU96-W-180 airfoil in deep stall at a 90° angle of attack, based on 2D and 3D Reynolds Averaged Navier Stokes and 3D Detached Eddy Simulation unsteady Computational Fluid Dynamics computations with non-moving, prescribed motion and elastically mounted airfoil suspensions. Stationary vortex-shedding frequencies computed in 2D and 3D Computational Fluid Dynamics differed. In the prescribed motion computations, the airfoil oscillated in the direction of the chord line. Negative aerodynamic damping, found in both 2D and 3D Computational Fluid Dynamics computations with moving airfoil, showed in the vicinity of the stationary vortex-shedding frequency computed by 2D Computational Fluid Dynamics. A shorter time series was sufficient to verify the sign of the aerodynamic damping in the case of the elastic computations than the prescribed motion. Even though the 2D computations seemed to be capable of indicating the presence of vortex-induced vibrations, the 3D computations seemed to reflect the involved physics more accurately. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Wind turbine wake can be studied in computational fluid dynamics with the use of permeable body forces (e.g. actuator disc, line and surface). This paper presents a general flexible method to redistribute wind turbine blade forces as permeable body forces in a computational domain. The method can take any kind of shape discretization, determine the intersectional elements with the computational grid and use the size of these elements to redistribute proportionally the forces. This method can potentially reduce the need for mesh refinement in the region surrounding the rotor and, therefore, also reduce the computational cost of large wind farm wake simulations. The special case of the actuator disc is successfully validated with an analytical solution for heavily loaded turbines and with a full-rotor computation in computational fluid dynamics. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT A simple model for including the influence of the atmospheric boundary layer in connection with large eddy simulations of wind turbine wakes is presented and validated by comparing computed results with measurements as well as with direct numerical simulations. The model is based on an immersed boundary type technique where volume forces are used to introduce wind shear and atmospheric turbulence. The application of the model for wake studies is demonstrated by combining it with the actuator line method, and predictions are compared with field measurements. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT This work presents an analysis of two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) non-moving, prescribed motion and elastically mounted airfoil computational fluid dynamics (CFD) computations. The elastically mounted airfoil computations were performed by means of a 2D structural model with two degrees of freedom. The computations aimed at investigating the mechanisms of both vortex-induced and stall-induced vibrations related to a wind turbine blade at standstill conditions. In this work, a DU96-W-180 airfoil was used in the angle-of-attack region potentially corresponding to stall-induced vibrations. The analysis showed significant differences between the aerodynamic stability limits predicted by 2D and 3D CFD computations. A general agreement was reached between the prescribed motion and elastically mounted airfoil computations. 3D computations indicated that vortex-induced vibrations are likely to occur at modern wind turbine blades at standstill. In contrast, the predicted cut-in wind speed necessary for the onset of stall-induced vibrations appeared high enough for such vibrations to be unlikely. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT In the present paper, Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes predictions of the flow field around the MEXICO rotor in yawed conditions are compared with measurements. The paper illustrates the high degree of qualitative and quantitative agreement that can be obtained for this highly unsteady flow situation, by comparing measured and computed velocity profiles for all three Cartesian velocity components along four axial transects and several radial transects. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]