VAWTs Next? A Numerical Exploration into the Rotor and Wake Dynamics of Vertical-Axis Wind Turbines
A. Giri Ajay (TU Delft - Wind Energy)
R. De Breuker – Promotor (TU Delft - Aerospace Structures & Materials)
C.J. Simao Ferreira – Promotor (TU Delft - Wind Energy)
D.A.M. De Tavernier – Copromotor (TU Delft - Wind Energy)
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Abstract
The accelerating demand for renewable energy has intensified the search for efficient and innovative solutions, particularly within the offshore wind-energy sector. While horizontal-axis wind turbines currently dominate the market, vertical-axis wind turbines (VAWTs) have emerged as a promising alternative — especially for offshore and urban environments where compactness, reduced noise, and improved windfarm power density are crucial. Nevertheless, despite their potential, the large-scale deployment of VAWTs remains constrained by an incomplete understanding of their aerodynamic performance, wake dynamics, and the downstream effects of these wakes within wind farms.
Beyond conventional VAWT designs, novel turbine concepts are being developed to address the limitations of the traditional Darrieus rotor. One such concept, the X-Rotor, seeks to reduce the Levelised Cost of Energy (LCoE) and enhance the competitiveness of VAWTs in the offshore market. However, its geometry inherently induces strong three-dimensional flow features that cannot be adequately captured using the commonly employed, computationally economical, two-dimensional numerical tools.....