Characterization of a New Open Jet Wind Tunnel to Optimize and Test Vertical Axis Wind Turbines

Identifier:  TDX:2718

Handle: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11797/TDX2718

Authors:  Tourn Cremona, Silvana Cecilia

Abstract:
Based on the increasing interest in urban environmental technologies, the study of small scale vertical axis wind turbines shows motivating challenges. In this thesis, we present the design criteria, characteristics and potentials of a new open jet wind tunnel. It has a nozzle exit area of 1.5 x1.5 m2, and it can be operated with exit velocities from 3 m/s to 17 m/s. The characterization of the flow has been carried out with calibrated pitot tubes, cup anemometers, and hot wire anemometers. Two different configurations of the test area, with and without a ceiling, are considered. Measurements in the range of available exit velocities show that the cross section, where the velocity and turbulence intensities show an acceptable level of uniformity, has an area of 0.8 x 0.8 m2 and a streamwise dimension of 2 m from the nozzle exit of the tunnel. In this working section, the maximum turbulence intensity is 4%. The detailed characterization of the flow carried out indicates that the wind tunnel can be used to test small scale models of wind turbines.