A Comparative Study of the Aerodynamics of Several Wind Turbines Using Flow Visualization

1990 ◽  
Vol 112 (4) ◽  
pp. 301-309 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. M. Eggleston ◽  
K. Starcher
Keyword(s):  
Flow Visualization ◽  
Flow Characteristics ◽  
Leading Edge ◽  
Reynolds Numbers ◽  
Complete Separation ◽  
Laminar Separation ◽  
Reynolds Number Flow ◽  
Oil Flow ◽  
Number Flow ◽  
Visualization Techniques

Flow visualization techniques were used to study the flows over the Enertech 21-5, Carter 25, and Enertech 44-50. Despite centrifugal effects superimposed on the aerodynamics, tufting (gross aerodynamic behavior) and oil flow (average boundary layer behavior), tests reveal the nature and many of the details of the flows involved. Results were compared to expected flow patterns based on angles of attack calculated from the PROPPC code. Chord Reynolds numbers ranged between 75,000 (Enertech 21-5) to 1,340,000 (Enertech 44-50). The typical low Reynolds number flow characteristics of these airfoils, including laminar separation bubbles, turbulent reattachment, and complete separation were observed. Full or partial reattachment due to tower shadow was observed on each machine. Spanwise flow was observed near the leading edge of the Enertech 21-5. Cyclic radial flow from tower dam effect was also noted.

Interaction of tip vortex and laminar separation bubble over wings with different aspect ratios under low Reynolds numbers

2018 ◽  
Vol 232 (22) ◽  
pp. 4019-4037 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mustafa Serdar Genç ◽  
Gökhan Özkan ◽  
Mustafa Özden ◽  
Mehmet Sadik Ki˙ri˙ş ◽  
Rahime Yi˙ldi˙z
Keyword(s):  
Separation Bubble ◽  
Leading Edge ◽  
Reynolds Numbers ◽  
Tip Vortex ◽  
Transition To Turbulence ◽  
Laminar Separation ◽  
Viscous Forces ◽  
Aspect Ratios ◽  
Oil Flow ◽  
2D Flow

In present study, aerodynamics of a NACA4412 wings with aspect ratio of 1 and 3 was considered experimentally at Reynolds numbers of 2.5 × 104, 5 × 104 and 7.5 × 104. Studies for AR = 1 wing showed that stall was delayed and extra (vortex) lift was obtained, because separation bubble got smaller in both chordwise and spanwise axes with effect of wing-tip vortices. Oil-flow experiments at higher angles of attack clarified the reason for vortex lift obtained from AR = 1 wing. However, there was an increase in drag coefficient as well as vortex lift, and stall delayed due to tip vortex. Turbulence intensity distributions pointed out location of the transition to turbulence; Reynolds stress and turbulence kinetic energy distributions indicated shear layer. Furthermore, in experiments of AR = 3 wing, the viscous forces and leading edge vortices were effective at Re = 2.5 × 104 and Re = 5 × 104, but flow over the wing at Re = 7.5 × 104 acted as a 2D flow. After α = 12°, bubble burst and stall consisted abruptly because effectiveness of 3D flow decreased over wing. Strouhal (St) numbers of vortex shedding frequencies in wake of AR = 3 wing had a certain difference from St = 0.17/sinα curve at lower angle of attack (α = 0° − 10°) due to separation bubble, but AR = 1 wings showed that St numbers were near St = 0.17/sinα curve.

Investigation on the effect of leading edge tubercles of sweptback wing at low reynolds number

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (6) ◽  
pp. 621
Author(s):  
Veerapathiran Thangaraj Gopinathan ◽  
John Bruce Ralphin Rose ◽  
Mohanram Surya
Keyword(s):  
Leading Edge ◽  
Reynolds Numbers ◽  
Sweep Angle ◽  
Laminar Separation ◽  
Low Reynolds Numbers ◽  
Flow Energy ◽  
Airplane Wing ◽  
Low Reynolds ◽  
Naca 0015 ◽  
Wing Performance

Aerodynamic efficiency of an airplane wing can be improved either by increasing its lift generation tendency or by reducing the drag. Recently, Bio-inspired designs have been received greater attention for the geometric modifications of airplane wings. One of the bio-inspired designs contains sinusoidal Humpback Whale (HW) tubercles, i.e., protuberances exist at the wing leading edge (LE). The tubercles have excellent flow control characteristics at low Reynolds numbers. The present work describes about the effect of tubercles on swept back wing performance at various Angle of Attack (AoA). NACA 0015 and NACA 4415 airfoils are used for swept back wing design with sweep angle about 30°. The modified wings (HUMP 0015 A, HUMP 0015 B, HUMP 4415 A, HUMP 4415 B) are designed with two amplitude to wavelength ratios (η) of 0.1 & 0.24 for the performance analysis. It is a novel effort to analyze the tubercle vortices along the span that induce additional flow energy especially, behind the tubercles peak and trough region. Subsequently, Co-efficient of Lift (CL), Co-efficient of Drag (CD) and boundary layer pressure gradients also predicted for modified and baseline (smooth LE) models in the pre & post-stall regimes. It was observed that the tubercles increase the performance of swept back wings by the enhanced CL/CD ratio in the pre-stall AoA region. Interestingly, the flow separation region behind the centerline of tubercles and formation of Laminar Separation Bubbles (LSB) were asymmetric because of the sweep.

Low Reynolds number flow around and heat transfer from a heated circular cylinder

2010 ◽  
Vol 1 (1-2) ◽  
pp. 15-20 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Bolló
Keyword(s):  
Reynolds Number ◽  
Circular Cylinder ◽  
Lift Coefficient ◽  
Reynolds Numbers ◽  
Low Reynolds Numbers ◽  
Reynolds Number Flow ◽  
Two Dimensional Flow ◽  
Number Flow ◽  
Low Reynolds ◽  
Increasing Temperature

Abstract The two-dimensional flow around a stationary heated circular cylinder at low Reynolds numbers of 50 < Re < 210 is investigated numerically using the FLUENT commercial software package. The dimensionless vortex shedding frequency (St) reduces with increasing temperature at a given Reynolds number. The effective temperature concept was used and St-Re data were successfully transformed to the St-Reeff curve. Comparisons include root-mean-square values of the lift coefficient and Nusselt number. The results agree well with available data in the literature.

Measurement of Velocity Profiles of Laminar to Turbulent Water Flows in a Tube Using Particle Image Velocimetry

2004 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meredith R. Martin
Keyword(s):  
Reynolds Number ◽  
Particle Image Velocimetry ◽  
Particle Image ◽  
Glass Tube ◽  
Reynolds Numbers ◽  
Velocity Profiles ◽  
Reynolds Number Flow ◽  
Image Velocimetry ◽  
Dye Visualization ◽  
Number Flow

The transition from laminar to turbulent in-tube flow is studied in this paper. Water flow in a glass tube with an inside diameter of 21.7 mm was investigated by two methods. First, a dye visualization test using a setup similar to the 1883 experiment of Osborne Reynolds was conducted. For the dye visualization, Reynolds numbers ranging from approximately 1000 to 3500 were tested and the transition from laminar to turbulent flow was observed between Reynolds numbers of 2500 and 3500. For the second method, a particle image velocimetry (PIV) system was used to measure the velocity profiles of flow in the same glass tube at Reynolds numbers ranging from approximately 500 to 9000. The resulting velocity profiles were compared to theoretical laminar profiles and empirical turbulent power-law profiles. Good agreement was found between the lower Reynolds number flow and the laminar profile, and between the higher Reynolds number flow and turbulent power-law profile. In between the flow appeared to be in a transition region and deviated some between the two profiles.

scholarly journals A large-eddy simulation on a deep-stalled aerofoil with a wavy leading edge

2017 ◽  
Vol 813 ◽  
pp. 23-52 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rafael Pérez-Torró ◽  
Jae Wook Kim
Keyword(s):  
Vortex Shedding ◽  
Flow Characteristics ◽  
Leading Edge ◽  
Domain Size ◽  
Aerodynamic Characteristics ◽  
Streamwise Vortices ◽  
Aerodynamic Forces ◽  
Laminar Separation ◽  
Eddy Simulation ◽  
Large Eddy

A numerical investigation on the stalled flow characteristics of a NACA0021 aerofoil with a sinusoidal wavy leading edge (WLE) at chord-based Reynolds number $Re_{\infty }=1.2\times 10^{5}$ and angle of attack $\unicode[STIX]{x1D6FC}=20^{\circ }$ is presented in this paper. It is observed that laminar separation bubbles (LSBs) form at the trough areas of the WLE in a collocated fashion rather than uniformly/periodically distributed over the span. It is found that the distribution of LSBs and their influence on the aerodynamic forces is strongly dependent on the spanwise domain size of the simulation, i.e. the wavenumber of the WLE used. The creation of a pair of counter-rotating streamwise vortices from the WLE and their evolution as an interface/buffer between the LSBs and the adjacent fully separated shear layers are discussed in detail. The current simulation results confirm that an increased lift and a decreased drag are achieved by using the WLEs compared to the straight leading edge (SLE) case, as observed in previous experiments. Additionally, the WLE cases exhibit a significantly reduced level of unsteady fluctuations in aerodynamic forces at the frequency of periodic vortex shedding. The beneficial aerodynamic characteristics of the WLE cases are attributed to the following three major events observed in the current simulations: (i) the appearance of a large low-pressure zone near the leading edge created by the LSBs; (ii) the reattachment of flow behind the LSBs resulting in a decreased volume of the rear wake; and, (iii) the deterioration of von-Kármán (periodic) vortex shedding due to the breakdown of spanwise coherent structures.

Coherent structures in coflowing jets and wakes

1978 ◽  
Vol 88 (3) ◽  
pp. 451-463 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. E. Perry ◽  
T. T. Lim
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Glass Tube ◽  
Reynolds Numbers ◽  
Reynolds Number Flow ◽  
Naturally Occurring ◽  
Number Flow ◽  
High Reynolds ◽  
Scale Motion

By applying small lateral oscillations to a glass tube from which smoke was issuing, perfectly periodic coflowing jets and wake structures were produced at Reynolds numbers of order 300-1000. These structures remained coherent over long streamwise distances and appeared to be perfectly frozen when viewed under stroboscopic light which was synchronized with the disturbing oscillation. By the use of strobing laser beams, longitudinal sections of the structures were photographed and an account of the geometry of these structures is reported.When the tube was unforced, similar structures occurred but they modulated in scale and frequency, and their orientation was random.A classification of structures is presented and examples are demonstrated in naturally occurring situations such as smoke from a cigarette, the wake behind a three-dimensional blunt body, and the high Reynolds number flow in a plume from a chimney. It is suggested that an examination of these structures may give some insight into the large-scale motion in fully turbulent flow.

scholarly journals Laminar and turbulent comparisons for channel flow and flow control

2007 ◽  
Vol 570 ◽  
pp. 467-477 ◽  
Author(s):  
IVAN MARUSIC ◽  
D. D. JOSEPH ◽  
KRISHNAN MAHESH
Keyword(s):  
Pressure Gradient ◽  
Flow Control ◽  
Turbulent Flows ◽  
Control Strategies ◽  
Reynolds Numbers ◽  
Volume Flux ◽  
Reynolds Number Flow ◽  
Number Flow ◽  
High Reynolds ◽  
Strategy Design

A formula is derived that shows exactly how much the discrepancy between the volume flux in laminar and in turbulent flow at the same pressure gradient increases as the pressure gradient is increased. We compare laminar and turbulent flows in channels with and without flow control. For the related problem of a fixed bulk-Reynolds-number flow, we seek the theoretical lowest bound for skin-friction drag for control schemes that use surface blowing and suction with zero-net volume-flux addition. For one such case, using a crossflow approach, we show that sustained drag below that of the laminar-Poiseuille-flow case is not possible. For more general control strategies we derive a criterion for achieving sublaminar drag and use this to consider the implications for control strategy design and the limitations at high Reynolds numbers.

Particle capture and low-Reynolds-number flow around a circular cylinder

2012 ◽  
Vol 710 ◽  
pp. 362-378 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexis Espinosa-Gayosso ◽  
Marco Ghisalberti ◽  
Gregory N. Ivey ◽  
Nicole L. Jones
Keyword(s):  
Particle Size ◽  
Reynolds Number ◽  
Larval Settlement ◽  
Capture Rate ◽  
Reynolds Numbers ◽  
Particle Capture ◽  
Particle Size Range ◽  
Reynolds Number Flow ◽  
Number Flow ◽  
First Time

AbstractParticle capture, whereby suspended particles contact and adhere to a solid surface (a ‘collector’), is an important mechanism in a range of environmental processes. In aquatic systems, typically characterized by low collector Reynolds numbers ($\mathit{Re}$), the rate of particle capture determines the efficiencies of a range of processes such as seagrass pollination, suspension feeding by corals and larval settlement. In this paper, we use direct numerical simulation (DNS) of a two-dimensional laminar flow to accurately quantify the rate of capture of low-inertia particles by a cylindrical collector for $\mathit{Re}\leq 47$ (i.e. a range where there is no vortex shedding). We investigate the dependence of both the capture rate and maximum capture angle on both the collector Reynolds number and the ratio of particle size to collector size. The inner asymptotic expansion of Skinner (Q. J. Mech. Appl. Maths, vol. 28, 1975, pp. 333–340) for flow around a cylinder is extended and shown to provide an excellent framework for the prediction of particle capture and flow close to the leading face of a cylinder up to $\mathit{Re}= 10$. Our results fill a gap between theory and experiment by providing, for the first time, predictive capability for particle capture by aquatic collectors in a wide (and relevant) Reynolds number and particle size range.

Effect of Upstream Flow Processes on Hydrodynamic Development in a Duct

1977 ◽  
Vol 99 (3) ◽  
pp. 556-560 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. M. Sparrow ◽  
C. E. Anderson
Keyword(s):  
Reynolds Number ◽  
Reynolds Numbers ◽  
Center Line ◽  
Viscous Effects ◽  
Mean Velocity ◽  
Inertia Effects ◽  
Reynolds Number Flow ◽  
Compact Size ◽  
Number Flow ◽  
The Mean

Consideration is given to the developing laminar flow in a parallel plate channel, with the fluid being drawn from a large upstream space. The flow fields upstream and downstream of the channel inlet were solved simultaneously. A finite-difference technique was employed which was facilitated by a coordinate transformation that telescoped the broadly extended flow domain into a more compact size. For the solutions, the Reynolds number was assigned values from 1 to 1000, covering the range from viscous-dominated flows to those where both viscous and inertia effects are relevant. Streamline maps indicate that whereas a low Reynolds number flow glides smoothly into the channel, a high Reynolds number flow has to turn sharply to enter the channel, with the result that the sharply turning fluid tends to overshoot at first and then readjust. A significant amount of upstream predevelopment occurs at low and intermediate Reynolds numbers. Thus, for example, at Re = 1 and 100, the center-line velocities at inlet are, respectively, 1.37 and 1.13 times the mean velocity (the fully developed center-line velocity is 1.5 times the mean). The upstream pressure drop, measured in terms of the velocity head, is substantially increased by viscous effects at low and intermediate Reynolds numbers.

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