| dc.description.abstract | The suitability of vertical axis wind turbines (VAWTs) in harnessing energy within a complex
wind environment has increased their renewed interest. However, there still exists a huge
knowledge gap about the aerodynamic performance of VAWTs operating in a turbulent flow
regime. In this paper, an experimental method is presented for a deeper understanding of
unsteady rotor aerodynamics under turbulent flow operating conditions. To carry out the
investigation, we developed and tested a small-scale Savonius turbine in a wind tunnel. A
systematic analysis of torque and power coefficients, including their variations at uniform flow,
was also presented to predict the power performance. A mechanism to generate a turbulent flow
was then created to analyze the effect of induced turbulence intensity on the aerodynamics and
performance of the VAWT. Results revealed that the turbulence of the inflow impacted
fluctuating aerodynamic loads on the turbine blade and, ultimately, its aerodynamic performance.
In addition, simulations using a CFD code were performed to compare numerical data with
experimental measurements. This analysis shows the effect of turbulence intensity on
performance of small wind turbines, and the aerodynamics that causes the behavior. | en_US |
