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Frontiers in Energy >> 2022, Volume 16, Issue 4 doi: 10.1007/s11708-020-0713-0

Characterization of aerodynamic performance of wind-lens turbine using high-fidelity CFD simulations

. Mechanical Power Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering-Mataria, Helwan University, Cairo 11718, Egypt; State Key Laboratory of Hydroscience and Engineering, Department of Energy and Power Engineering, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084, China.. Mechanical Power Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering-Mataria, Helwan University, Cairo 11718, Egypt.. Mechanical Power Engineering Department, Faculty of Engineering-Mataria, Helwan University, Cairo 11718, Egypt; Mechanical Engineering Department, College of Engineering and Islamic Architecture, Umm Al-Qura University, Makkah5555, Saudi Arabia

Accepted: 2020-12-10 Available online: 2020-12-10

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Abstract

Wind-lens turbines (WLTs) exhibit the prospect of a higher output power and more suitability for urban areas in comparison to bare wind turbines. The wind-lens typically comprises a diffuser shroud coupled with a flange appended to the exit periphery of the shroud. Wind-lenses can boost the velocity of the incoming wind through the turbine rotor owing to the creation of a low-pressure zone downstream the flanged diffuser. In this paper, the aerodynamic performance of the wind-lens is computationally assessed using high-fidelity transient CFD simulations for shrouds with different profiles, aiming to assess the effect of change of some design parameters such as length, area ratio and flange height of the diffuser shroud on the power augmentation. The power coefficient ( ) is calculated by solving the URANS equations with the aid of the SST model. Furthermore, comparisons with experimental data for validation are accomplished to prove that the proposed methodology could be able to precisely predict the aerodynamic behavior of the wind-lens turbine. The results affirm that wind-lens with cycloidal profile yield an augmentation of about 58% increase in power coefficient compared to bare wind turbine of the same rotor swept-area. It is also emphasized that diffusers (cycloid type) of small length could achieve a twice increase in power coefficient while maintaining large flange heights.

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