Numerical modeling and preliminary validation of drag-based vertical axis wind turbine

Abstract

Abstract The main purpose of this article is to verify and validate the mathematical description of the airflow around a wind turbine with vertical axis of rotation, which could be considered as representative for this type of devices. Mathematical modeling of the airflow around wind turbines in particular those with the vertical axis is a problematic matter due to the complex nature of this highly swirled flow. Moreover, it is turbulent flow accompanied by a rotation of the rotor and the dynamic boundary layer separation. In such conditions, the key aspects of the mathematical model are accurate turbulence description, definition of circular motion as well as accompanying effects like centrifugal force or the Coriolis force and parameters of spatial and temporal discretization. The paper presents the impact of the different simulation parameters on the obtained results of the wind turbine simulation. Analysed models have been validated against experimental data published in the literature.