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The influence of turbulence model and two and three-dimensional domain selection on the simulated performance characteristics of vertical axis tidal turbines

Marsh, P; Ranmuthugala, D; Penesis, I; Thomas, GA; (2017) The influence of turbulence model and two and three-dimensional domain selection on the simulated performance characteristics of vertical axis tidal turbines. Renewable Energy , 105 pp. 106-116. 10.1016/j.renene.2016.11.063. Green open access

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Abstract

The influence of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) modeling techniques on the accuracy of vertical axis turbine power output predictions was investigated. Using Two-Dimensional (2D) and Three-Dimensional (3D) models, as well as the Baseline-Reynolds Stress Models (BSL-RSM) model and the k-ω Shear Stress Transport (k-ω SST) model in its fully turbulent and laminar-to-turbulent formulation, differences in power output modeling accuracy were evaluated against experimental results from literature. The highest correlation with experimental power output was found using a 3D domain model that fully resolved the boundary layer combined with the k-ω SST laminar-to-turbulent model. The turbulent 3D fully resolved boundary layer k-ω SST model also accurately predicted power output for most rotational rates, at a significantly reduced computational cost when compared to its laminar-to-turbulent formulation. The 3D fully resolved BSL-RSM model and 3D wall function boundary layer k-ω SST model were found to poorly simulate power output. Poor output predictions were also obtained using 2D domain k-ω SST models, as they were unable to account for blade tip and strut effects. The authors suggest that 3D domain fully turbulent k-ω SST models with fully resolved boundary layer modeling are used for predicting turbine power output given their accuracy and computational efficiency.

Type: Article
Title: The influence of turbulence model and two and three-dimensional domain selection on the simulated performance characteristics of vertical axis tidal turbines
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
DOI: 10.1016/j.renene.2016.11.063
Publisher version: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.renene.2016.11.063
Language: English
Additional information: This version is the author accepted manuscript. For information on re-use, please refer to the publisher’s terms and conditions.
Keywords: Vertical Axis Turbine, Computational Fluid Dynamics, Turbulence Model, Computational Domain, Laminar-to-Turbulent Transition
UCL classification: UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Engineering Science
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Engineering Science > Dept of Mechanical Engineering
URI: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/1476791
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