SIMULATION STUDY ON VORTEX-INDUCED VIBRATION AIR WAKE ENERGY FOR AIRPORT RUNAWAY APPLICATION: A PRELIMINARY ANALYSIS

Abstract

The objective of this research paper is to conduct a preliminary analysis of the effects of various cylindrical cross-sectional shapes on vortex-induced vibration for airport runaway air wake energy generation. In the case of the airport runway, vortices are generated from the aeroplane bodies that exit and enter the runway during take-off and landing operations. These oscillations can be utilized to generate power due to the large fluctuations produced by the vortices. Vortexinduced vibration works on the principle of Kármán vortices where a cylindrical or bluff-body shaped object oscillates due to the alternate vortex formation on the boundary layers by adverse fluid pressure. The oscillation depends on the unsteady lift force generated. This mechanical oscillation is later converted to electrical energy. Five cylindrical crosssection cases are investigated by computational fluid dynamics (CFD) k-ω turbulence model to identify the best case that will provide the largest lift force; hence the maximum power output generation. These cases are simulated using typical take-off air speeds for jetliners in order to finalize the overall performance. The observed results show that the elliptical cross-section with 3” height and 2” length provides the best cross-section in producing the greatest amount of energy. The total power generated from a single-cylinder was 707.1 Watts. The system can be optimized for larger aeroplanes and operation frequencies as well as could be expanded for larger energy output.Keywords: airport runaway, lift force, oscillation, renewable, turbulence, vortex-induced vibration