Francesco Balduzzi

An Experimental and Numerical Assessment of Airfoil Polars for Use in Darrieus Wind Turbines—Part I: Flow Curvature Effects

A better comprehension of the aerodynamic behavior of rotating airfoils in Darrieus Vertical-axis wind turbines (VAWTs) is crucial both for the further development of these machines and for improvement of conventional design tools based on zero or one-dimensional models (e.g. BEM models).When smaller rotors are designed with high chord-to-radius (c/R) ratios so as not to limit the blade Reynolds number, the performance of turbine blades has been suggested to be heavily impacted by a virtual camber effect imparted on the blades by the curvilinear flow they experience.To assess the impact of this virtual camber effect on blade and turbine performance, a standard NACA0018 airfoil and a NACA0018 conformally transformed such that the airfoil’s chord line follows the arc of a circle, where the ratio of the airfoil’s chord to the circle’s radius is 0.25 were considered. For both airfoils, wind tunnel tests were carried out to assess their aerodynamic lift and drag coefficients for Reynolds numbers of interest for Darrieus VAWTs.Unsteady CFD calculations have been then carried out to obtain curvilinear flow performance data for the same airfoils mounted on a Darrieus rotor with a c/R of 0.25. The blade incidence and lift and drag forces were extracted from the CFD output using a novel incidence angle deduction technique.According to virtual camber theory, the transformed airfoil in this curvilinear flow should be equivalent to the NACA0018 in rectilinear flow, while the NACA0018 should be equivalent to the inverted transformed airfoil in rectilinear flow.Comparisons were made between these airfoil pairings using the CFD output and the rectilinear performance data obtained from the wind tunnel tests and XFoil output in the form of pressure distributions and lift and drag polars.Blade torque coefficients and turbine power coefficient are also presented for the CFD VAWT using both blade profiles.Copyright

Parametric and Comparative Assessment of Navier-Stokes CFD Methodologies for Darrieus Wind Turbine Performance Analysis

Navier-Stokes computational fluid dynamics simulations are expected to provide the basis for a deeper understanding of the real behavior of vertical-axis wind turbines. The prediction of the flow field past Darrieus rotors, a popular turbine of this type, requires a good resolution of both the unsteadiness caused by the periodic variation of the modulus and direction of the relative velocity perceived by the blades, and the interaction between the wakes shed by the blades in the upstream region of the rotor and the downstream blades traveling through such wakes. This paper presents a comparative assessment of the predictive capabilities of two substantially different timedependent Navier-Stokes Reynolds-averaged-based approaches to the analysis of Darrieus turbines. One is based on a commercial code, and the other on an academic research code. A Darrieus rotor configuration previously analyzed by other researchers was selected for this study, which focused on the turbine flow at a tip-speed ratio of 3.3. Aggregate power coefficient comparisons at other regimes are also provided. Solution sensitivity analyses to spatial and temporal grid refinement, domain size and boundary condition modeling aspects for each of the two approaches are provided in the study. A very good agreement is obtained between the two simulation sets, and a fairly good agreement is found between both simulations and available measured data.

An Experimental and Numerical Assessment of Airfoil Polars for Use in Darrieus Wind Turbines—Part II: Post-stall Data Extrapolation Methods

Accurate post-stall airfoil data extending to a full range of incidences between −180° to +180° is important to the analysis of Darrieus vertical-axis wind turbines (VAWTs) since the blades experience a wide range of angles of attack, particularly at the low tip-speed ratios encountered during startup.Due to the scarcity of existing data extending much past stall, and the difficulties associated with obtaining post-stall data by experimental or numerical means, wide use is made of simple models of post-stall lift and drag coefficients in wind turbine modeling (through, for example, BEM codes). Most of these models assume post-stall performance to be virtually independent of profile shape.In this study, wind tunnel tests were carried out on a standard NACA0018 airfoil and a NACA 0018 conformally transformed to mimic the “virtual camber” effect imparted on a blade in a VAWT with a chord-to-radius ratio c/R of 0.25.Unsteady CFD results were taken for the same airfoils both at stationary angles of attack and at angles of attack resulting from a slow VAWT-like motion in an oncoming flow, the latter to better replicate the transient conditions experienced by VAWT blades.Excellent agreement was obtained between the wind tunnel tests and the CFD computations for both the symmetrical and cambered airfoils. Results for both airfoils also compare favorably to earlier studies of similar profiles. Finally, the suitability of different models for post-stall airfoil performance extrapolation, including those of Viterna-Corrigan, Montgomerie and Kirke, was analyzed and discussed.Copyright

Effects of Airfoil's Polar Data in the Stall Region on the Estimation of Darrieus Wind Turbine Performance

Interest in vertical-axis wind turbines (VAWTs) is experiencing a renaissance after most major research projects came to a standstill in the mid 1990s, in favor of conventional horizontal-axis turbines (HAWTs). Nowadays, the inherent advantages of the VAWT concept, especially in the Darrieus configuration, may outweigh their disadvantages in specific applications, like the urban context or floating platforms. To enable these concepts further, efficient, accurate, and robust aerodynamic prediction tools and design guidelines are needed for VAWTs, for which low-order simulation methods have not reached yet a maturity comparable to that of the blade element momentum theory for HAWTs’ applications. The two computationally efficient methods that are presently capable of capturing the unsteady aerodynamics of Darrieus turbines are the double multiple streamtubes (DMS) theory, based on momentum balances, and the lifting line theory (LLT) coupled to a free vortex wake model. Both methods make use of tabulated lift and drag coefficients to compute the blade forces. Since the incidence angles range experienced by a VAWT blade is much wider than that of a HAWT blade, the accuracy of polars in describing the stall region and the transition toward the “thin plate like” behavior has a large effect on simulation results. This paper will demonstrate the importance of stall and poststall data handling in the performance estimation of Darrieus VAWTs. Using validated CFD simulations as a baseline, comparisons are provided for a blade in VAWT-like motion based on a DMS and a LLT code employing three sets of poststall data obtained from a wind tunnel campaign, XFoil predictions extrapolated with the Viterna–Corrigan model and a combination of them. The polar extrapolation influence on quasi-steady operating conditions is shown and azimuthal variations of thrust and torque are compared for exemplary tip-speed ratios (TSRs). In addition, the major relevance of a proper dynamic stall model into both the simulation methods is highlighted and discussed. [DOI: 10.1115/1.4034326]

A Parametric Computational Fluid Dynamics Analysis of the Valve Pocket Losses in Reciprocating Compressors

The reduction of pressure losses is one of the most important challenges for the efficiency increase of a reciprocating compressor. Since the absorbed power is strongly affected by the losses through pocket valves and cylinder ducts, an accurate prediction of these losses is essential. The use of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation has shown great potential for the study of the entire reciprocating compressor, but is still limited by high computational costs. Recently, the authors have presented a simplified CFD approach: the actual valve geometry is replaced with an equivalent porous region, which has significantly increased the speed of calculation while ensuring accuracy as well. Based on this approach, a new methodology for the evaluation of pocket valve losses is presented. A set of CFD simulations using a parameterized geometry of the pocket valve was performed to evaluate the relationship between the losses of the pocket and its geometrical features. An analytical response surface (RS) was defined using the values of the geometrical dimensions as inputs and the pocket flow coefficient as output. Finally, the response surface was validated through a set of test cases performed on different geometries with the actual valve and the results have shown good predictability of the tool.

Three-Dimensional Aerodynamic Analysis of a Darrieus Wind Turbine Blade Using Computational Fluid Dynamics and Lifting Line Theory

Due to the rapid progress in high-performance computing and the availability of increasingly large computational resources, Navier-Stokes computational fluid dynamics (CFD) now offers a cost-effective, versatile and accurate means to improve the understanding of the unsteady aerodynamics of Darrieus wind turbines and deliver more efficient designs. In particular, the possibility of determining a fully resolved flow field past the blades by means of CFD offers the opportunity to both further understand the physics underlying the turbine fluid dynamics and to use this knowledge to validate lower-order models, which can have a wider diffusion in the wind energy sector, particularly for industrial use, in the light of their lower computational burden. In this context, highly spatially and temporally refined time-dependent three-dimensional Navier-Stokes simulations were carried out using more than 16,000 processor cores per simulation on an IBM BG/Q cluster in order to thoroughly investigate the three-dimensional unsteady aerodynamics of a single blade in Darrieus-like motion. Particular attention was payed to tip losses, dynamic stall, and blade/wake interaction. CFD results are compared with those obtained with an open-source code based on the Lifting Line Free Vortex Wake Model (LLFVW). At present, this approach is the most refined method among the “lower-fidelity” models and, as the wake is explicitly resolved in contrast to BEM-based methods, LLFVW analyses provide three-dimensional flow solutions. Extended comparisons between the two approaches are presented and a critical analysis is carried out to identify the benefits and drawbacks of the two approaches.

An Experimental and Numerical Assessment of Airfoil Polars for Use in Darrieus Wind Turbines: Part 1 — Flow Curvature Effects

A better comprehension of the aerodynamic behavior of rotating airfoils in Darrieus Vertical-axis wind turbines (VAWTs) is crucial both for the further development of these machines and for improvement of conventional design tools based on zero or one-dimensional models (e.g. BEM models).When smaller rotors are designed with high chord-to-radius (c/R) ratios so as not to limit the blade Reynolds number, the performance of turbine blades has been suggested to be heavily impacted by a virtual camber effect imparted on the blades by the curvilinear flow they experience.To assess the impact of this virtual camber effect on blade and turbine performance, a standard NACA0018 airfoil and a NACA0018 conformally transformed such that the airfoil’s chord line follows the arc of a circle, where the ratio of the airfoil’s chord to the circle’s radius is 0.25 were considered. For both airfoils, wind tunnel tests were carried out to assess their aerodynamic lift and drag coefficients for Reynolds numbers of interest for Darrieus VAWTs.Unsteady CFD calculations have been then carried out to obtain curvilinear flow performance data for the same airfoils mounted on a Darrieus rotor with a c/R of 0.25. The blade incidence and lift and drag forces were extracted from the CFD output using a novel incidence angle deduction technique.According to virtual camber theory, the transformed airfoil in this curvilinear flow should be equivalent to the NACA0018 in rectilinear flow, while the NACA0018 should be equivalent to the inverted transformed airfoil in rectilinear flow.Comparisons were made between these airfoil pairings using the CFD output and the rectilinear performance data obtained from the wind tunnel tests and XFoil output in the form of pressure distributions and lift and drag polars.Blade torque coefficients and turbine power coefficient are also presented for the CFD VAWT using both blade profiles.Copyright

Numerical Analysis and Experimental Assessment of the Cylinder Temperature in a Reciprocating Compressor

Accurate evaluation of the thermal deformation is important to the analysis of reciprocating compressors since the induced deformations are responsible of the thermal stresses on the cylinder. The cylinder body experiences a non-uniform temperature distribution, with the presence of hot and cold spots, creating a bending strain on the structure. A cylinder cooling system is designed to control the uniformity of the temperature field and to reduce the fresh gas heating due to a hot cylinder body, improving the volumetric efficiency.Due to the difficulties associated with obtaining detailed data on the heat transfer processes by experimental means, a more and more important role is played by numerical analysis in reciprocating compressor design.This paper shows the capability of a conjugate heat transfer (CHT) simulation for a double-acting reciprocating compressor cylinder in accurately predicting both the thermal state of the compressor cylinder and the temperature field of the cooling water. The results of the three-dimensional simulations of the water-circuit flow field and the thermal conduction inside the solid metal were compared to temperature measurements collected on a dedicated test bench for both the coolant and the metal structure. Satisfactory agreement was obtained between the experimental data and the numerical computations.In addition, three different modifications for the CHT model were introduced in order to obtain a better match with the experimental results. The suitability of using the CHT simulation as an efficient tool for replicating the actual condition of the reciprocating compressor was analyzed and discussed.Copyright

Reciprocating Compressor Cylinder’s Cooling: A Numerical Approach Using CFD With Conjugate Heat Transfer

The working cycle of a reciprocating compressor is characterized by heat generation, mainly due to compression transformation and friction phenomena. The main consequences are a reduction of the volumetric efficiency and an increase in the gas discharge temperature. Current regulations such as API618 for reciprocating compressors require a cylinder cooling system. Therefore, a proper design of the cooling circuit is needed in order to achieve the best balance between refrigerating potential and system capacity.A systematic methodology for the evaluation of the heat transfer process is essential and since experimental characterization of the circuit is complex and case-dependent, the use of a numerical technique is the most favorable and generalizable approach. Within this scenario, 3D analysis shows a great potential although several phenomena must be accounted for in order to accurately model the system.In this paper, a conjugate heat transfer (CHT) analysis on a double-acting water-cooled reciprocating compressor cylinder is presented, where the three-dimensional flow field of the water circuit and the thermal conduction inside the solid metal are solved simultaneously. The best practice for the imposition of consistent boundary conditions for the metal body is given with special attention to the heat transfer coefficient values for the suction and discharge gas chambers, the compression chamber and the external ambient. The assessment of the numerical methodology is completed with an investigation on the influence of wall roughness and buoyancy effects.© 2014 ASME

CFD Evaluation of the Pressure Losses in a Reciprocating Compressor: A Flexible Approach

Pressure losses in the suction and discharge components of a reciprocating compressor are the main irreversibilities that affect the global system efficiency; their prediction is a critical issue for the evaluation of the absorbed power.Flow coefficients for automatic valves are often derived from experimental data obtained on a dedicated test bench. Conversely, there is a lack of information concerning the flow behavior in the other components along the gas path and their losses are often taken into account by correcting the valve’s flow coefficient by means of an empirical correlation.CFD simulation of the entirety of the suction and discharge systems is a viable alternative for the prediction of the global pressure losses, although these simulations are very demanding in terms of computational resources.This paper presents an approach to reducing the computational effort required to perform the CFD analysis of a reciprocating compressor.A set of CFD simulations with different suction system geometry configurations has been performed in order to evaluate the dependence of a component pressure loss on the losses of the upstream components. The losses along the suction system can then be evaluated separately from the valve loss by neglecting the presence of the valve itself. The valve can be replaced by an equivalent porous region that straightens the outgoing flow. This approach leads to a decrease in both the mesh size and complexity, and an increase in general applicability.Copyright