Three-dimensional flow in the root region of wind turbine rotors

Abstract

This book presents the state of the art in the analyses of three-dimensional flow over rotating wind turbine blades. Systematic studies for wind turbine rotors with different sizes were carried out numerically employing three different simulation approaches, namely the Euler, URANS and DDES methods. The main mechanisms of the lift augmentation in the blade inboard region are described in detail. The physical relations between the inviscid and viscous effects are presented and evaluated, emphasizing the influence of the flow curvature on the resulting pressure distributions. Detailed studies concerning the lift augmentation for large wind turbine rotors are considered as thick inboard airfoils characterized by massive separation are desired to stronger contribute to power production. Special attention is given to the analyses of wind turbine loads and flow field that can be helpful for the interpretation of the occurring physical phenomena. The book is aimed at students, researchers, engineers and physicists dealing with wind engineering problems, but also for a wider audience involved in flow computations.