A comparison between ducted turbine theory and inviscid simulation

This paper describes the use of an inviscid approach to model a ducted turbine and a comparison of simulation results with a particular one-dimensional theory. The aim of the investigation was to gain a better understanding of the ideal diffuser, a concept that is developed in the theory. An optimisation of duct shape and a set of simulations with a varied group of shapes showed that duct length, inlet radius and outlet radius are not sufficient to define an ideal diffuser. A set of simulations with cylindrical ducts confirmed the theory that a duct optimised for one loading is less than ideal at other loadings.