Comparison of CFD simulations to non-rotating MEXICO blades experiment in the LTT wind tunnel of TUDelft

Comparison of CFD simulations to non-rotating MEXICO blades experiment in the LTT wind tunnel of TUDelft

Zhang, Y.
Van Zuijlen, A.
Van Bussel, G.

Aerospace Engineering

Aerodynamics, Wind Energy & Propulsion

2014-03-31

In this paper, three dimensional flow over non-rotating MEXICO blades is simulated by CFD methods. The numerical results are compared with the latest MEXICO wind turbine blades measurements obtained in the low speed low turbulence (LTT) wind tunnel of Delft University of Technology. This study aims to validate CFD codes by using these experimental data measured in well controlled conditions. In order to avoid use of wind tunnel corrections, both the blades and the wind tunnel test section are modelled in the simulations. The ability of Menter's k-w shear stress transport (SST) turbulence model is investigated at both attached flow and massively separated flow cases. Steady state Reynolds averaged Navier Stokes (RANS) equations are solved in these computations. The pressure distribution at three measured sections are compared under the conditions of different in flow velocities and a range of angles of attack. The comparison shows that at attached flow condition, good agreement can be obtained for all three airfoil sections. Even with massively separated flow, still fairly good pressure distribution comparison can be found for the DU and NACA airfoil sections, although the RIS¬ section shows poor comparison. At the near stall case, considerable deviations exists on the forward half part of the upper surface for all three sections.

http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:06a2f08f-d506-4b8c-89f1-418e4937bc0b

https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/524/1/012013

IOP Publishing

1742-6596

Journal of Physics: conference series 1, 524, 2014

Institutional Repository

journal article

(c)2014 The authors
Published under licence by IOP Publishing Ltd