Performance and flow dynamics in cross-flow turbines

Identifier:  TDX:2786

Handle: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11797/TDX2786

Authors:  Somoano Rodríguez, Miguel

Abstract:
This doctoral thesis presents the study that the author have carried out in order to understand the effect of the blade pitch angle on the blade-wake interactions that take place inside the rotor, and hence on the performance of a three straight bladed cross-flow turbine. Firstly, we have experimentally studied the performance of this kind of turbine in a boundary layer wind tunnel. We did it for different fixed blade pitches, and at different turbine diameter Reynolds numbers covering the transitional region in which the torque produced by the blades overtook the opposed resistive torque. Shape and values of the performance curve changed drastically with just an increment of the fixed pitch angle. The higher the Reynolds number, the lower the optimal tip speed ratio and the more towards toe-out the ideal pitch angle is moved. Afterwards, we study experimentally the flow dynamics inside the rotor for different blade pitches in a water towing tank, using planar Digital Particle Image Velocimetry. Tests were made at a constant turbine diameter Reynolds number, and for a range of tip speed ratios. The focus is given to the analysis of the blade-wake interactions inside the rotor. Toe-in and excessive toe-out angles have been associated to low performances of this type of turbines. The investigation has allowed us to relate the blade-wake interactions with the performance differences in this type of turbines, as a function of both the operational tip speed ratio and the blade pitch angle.