Numerical Simulation in the Wake of a Horizontal Axis Wind Turbine

Three-dimensional unsteady Reynolds averaged incompressible Navier-Stokes equations are used to simulate the aerodynamic performance of a horizontal axis wind turbine. The numerical method that adopted in this paper is proved to be effective to predict horizontal axis wind turbine aerodynamic characteristics by contrasting the numerical results to the wind turbine experimental data. And the curve of the power coefficient changing with the tip speed ratio(Cp-λ) is obtainded. The pressure distribution contours on the blade surface, at different axial positions at and behind the rotor, and in a meridional plane through the rotor axis are obtainded too. At last, the contours of axial-velocity vector and radial-velocity vector at those slices are also gained. From those figures, analysis of the flow fields is performed. Such as the flow sepration characteristics and the course of the wake generation, expension, development, shrink and extinction. Finally, conclusions are drawn.