Large Eddy Simulations of an Airfoil in Turbulent Inflow

Wind turbines operate in the turbulent boundary layer of the atmosphere and due to the rotational sampling effect the blades experience a high level of turbulence [1]. In this project the effect of turbulence is investigated by large eddy simulations of the turbulent flow past a NACA 0015 airfoil at Reynolds number 1.6 million. The effect of increasing the turbulence intensity is investigated and the results are compared to measurements from a wind tunnel. By including the inflow turbulence the agreement with measurements is improved for some angles of attack. The results indicate that the free stream turbulence may trigger separation of the flow at angles of attack close to stall. Wind turbines operate in the turbulent boundary layer of the atmosphere and due to the rotational sampling effect the blades experience a high level of turbulence [1]. In this project the effect of turbulence is investigated by large eddy simulations of the turbulent flow past a NACA 0015 airfoil at Reynolds number 1.6 million. The effect of increasing the turbulence intensity is investigated and the results are compared to measurements from a wind tunnel. By including the inflow turbulence the agreement with measurements is improved for some angles of attack. The results indicate that the free stream turbulence may trigger separation of the flow at angles of attack close to stall.