Analysis of three-dimensional turbulent characteristics of a novel spiral vertical axis wind rotor

Profile of the NACA0015 airfoil was used as the basic section of a novel spiral vertical axis wind rotor blade. Three-dimensional unsteady simulation was carried out for the flow field around the presented wind rotor using the commercial CFD software Fluent. Chord length, rotating speed and other aerodynamic performance parameters of the wind rotor were focused. The results indicate that the intensity and the magnitude of the vorticity increase with the angle of attack. And the streamlines ultimately separate from the surface. Both the moment coefficient of the rotor and the pressure difference increase with the chord length, which helps to promote the wind rotor´s rotating. The magnitude of the pressure at the studied sections increases with rotating speed. Around the wind rotor, the flow is remarkably three-dimensional and very complicated. The strength and range of the vorticity distributions at different sections are different with streamlines apparent deviation from the blade surface.