Abstract. A synergistic design strategy for ducted horizontal axis wind turbines (DWTs), utilizing the numerical solution of a ducted actuator disk system as input conditions for a modified blade element momentum method, is presented. Computational results of the ducted disk have shown that the flow field for a DWT differs substantially from that of a conventional open rotor. The rotor plane velocity is higher in the ducted flow field, and more importantly, the axial velocity component varies radially. An experimental full scale 2.5 m rotor and duct were designed, using this strategy, and tested at the University of Waterloo’s wind turbine test facility. Experimental results indicated a very good correlation of the data with the numerical predictions, that being a doubling of the power output at a given velocity.
Experimental Validation of a Ducted Wind Turbine Design Strategy
