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© 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.

Abstract

Vertical axis wind turbines are an emerging and in-development wind energy technology which are characterized by their complicated aerodynamics. Detached flow conditions, which are typically developed at operational tip speed ratios, demand a rigorous characterization of the airfoils for an accurate prediction of the turbine performance. In this work, a custom-built, three-component external strain gauge balance, specifically developed for airfoil testing, is validated. The physical reasons responsible for discrepancies with reference data are also analyzed. Two- and three-dimensional flat plates, as well as the DU06-W-200 airfoil, are tested in a wind tunnel. Lift and drag coefficients and pitching moments are obtained for a wide angular range at Re = 200,000. The results are compared with data from the bibliography and CFD simulations, performed with the recently developed GEKO (generalized k-omega) turbulence model, achieving remarkable agreement. Instantaneous forces are also analyzed with both experimental and CFD techniques, providing interesting results of the unsteady fluid dynamics. Finally, critical factors affecting the measurements are identified and enhancements are proposed for future works. In summary, a thorough evaluation of this new balance design is provided, showing its valuable potential for VAWT applications.

Details

Title
Aerodynamic Performance of VAWT Airfoils: Comparison between Wind Tunnel Testing Using a New Three-Component Strain Gauge Balance and CFD Modelling
Author
Santamaría, Luis; Mónica Galdo Vega  VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Pandal, Adrián  VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; José González Pérez  VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Velarde-Suárez, Sandra  VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Fernández Oro, Jesús Manuel  VIAFID ORCID Logo 
First page
9351
Publication year
2022
Publication date
2022
Publisher
MDPI AG
e-ISSN
19961073
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
2756698299
Copyright
© 2022 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.