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Title: Predicting aerodynamic characteristic of typical wind turbine airfoils using CFD

Abstract

An investigation was conducted into the capabilities and accuracy of a representative computational fluid dynamics code to predict the flow field and aerodynamic characteristics of typical wind-turbine airfoils. Comparisons of the computed pressure and aerodynamic coefficients were made with wind tunnel data. This work highlights two areas in CFD that require further investigation and development in order to enable accurate numerical simulations of flow about current generation wind-turbine airfoils: transition prediction and turbulence modeling. The results show that the laminar-to turbulent transition point must be modeled correctly to get accurate simulations for attached flow. Calculations also show that the standard turbulence model used in most commercial CFD codes, the k-e model, is not appropriate at angles of attack with flow separation. 14 refs., 28 figs., 4 tabs.

Authors:
 [1];  [2]
  1. Sandia National Labs., Albuquerque, NM (United States)
  2. Iowa State Univ., Ames, IA (United States). Aerospace Engineering Dept.
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Washington, DC (United States)
OSTI Identifier:
534484
Report Number(s):
SAND-96-2345
ON: DE98000422; TRN: 97:005436
DOE Contract Number:  
AC04-94AL85000
Resource Type:
Technical Report
Resource Relation:
Other Information: PBD: Sep 1997
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
17 WIND ENERGY; AIRFOILS; AERODYNAMICS; FLOW MODELS; WIND TURBINES; ACCURACY; TRANSITION FLOW; TURBULENT FLOW

Citation Formats

Wolfe, W P, and Ochs, S S. Predicting aerodynamic characteristic of typical wind turbine airfoils using CFD. United States: N. p., 1997. Web. doi:10.2172/534484.
Wolfe, W P, & Ochs, S S. Predicting aerodynamic characteristic of typical wind turbine airfoils using CFD. United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/534484
Wolfe, W P, and Ochs, S S. 1997. "Predicting aerodynamic characteristic of typical wind turbine airfoils using CFD". United States. https://doi.org/10.2172/534484. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/534484.
@article{osti_534484,
title = {Predicting aerodynamic characteristic of typical wind turbine airfoils using CFD},
author = {Wolfe, W P and Ochs, S S},
abstractNote = {An investigation was conducted into the capabilities and accuracy of a representative computational fluid dynamics code to predict the flow field and aerodynamic characteristics of typical wind-turbine airfoils. Comparisons of the computed pressure and aerodynamic coefficients were made with wind tunnel data. This work highlights two areas in CFD that require further investigation and development in order to enable accurate numerical simulations of flow about current generation wind-turbine airfoils: transition prediction and turbulence modeling. The results show that the laminar-to turbulent transition point must be modeled correctly to get accurate simulations for attached flow. Calculations also show that the standard turbulence model used in most commercial CFD codes, the k-e model, is not appropriate at angles of attack with flow separation. 14 refs., 28 figs., 4 tabs.},
doi = {10.2172/534484},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/534484}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Mon Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 1997},
month = {Mon Sep 01 00:00:00 EDT 1997}
}