Related papers: Experimental identification of blade-level forces,…
Cross-flow turbines, also known as vertical-axis turbines, have numerous features that make them attractive for wind and marine renewable energy. To maximize power output, the turbine blade kinematics may be controlled during the course of…
This research computationally investigates the complex dynamic stall phenomena of a cross-flow turbine blade utilizing modal analysis to identify pertinent events within the cycle. The blade rotation perpendicular to the freestream…
Cross-flow turbine (known as vertical-axis wind turbines or ``VAWTs'' in wind) blades encounter a relatively undisturbed inflow for the first half of each rotational cycle (``upstream sweep'') and then pass through their own wake for the…
Energy-harvesting systems in complex flow environments, such as floating offshore wind turbines, tidal turbines, and ground-fixed turbines in axial gusts, encounter unsteady streamwise flow conditions that affect their power generation and…
Cross-flow, or vertical-axis, turbines are a promising technology for capturing kinetic energy in wind or flowing water and their inherently unsteady fluid mechanics present unique opportunities for control optimization of individual rotors…
Cross-flow turbines, also known as vertical-axis turbines, convert the kinetic energy in moving fluid to mechanical energy using blades that rotate about an axis perpendicular to the incoming flow. In these experiments, the performance and…
Cross-flow turbines harness kinetic energy in wind or moving water. Due to their unsteady fluid dynamics, it can be difficult to predict the interplay between aspects of rotor geometry and turbine performance. This study considers the…
Straight-bladed cross-flow turbines are computationally explored for harvesting energy in wind and water currents. One challenge for cross-flow turbines is the transient occurrence of high apparent angles of attack on the blades that…
A novel method for calculating power output from wind turbines using Newtonian mechanics is proposed. This contrasts with current methods based on interception rates by airfoils of kinetic energy to estimate power output, governed by the…
Many traditional methods for wind turbine design and analysis assume quasi-steady aerodynamics, but atmospheric flows are inherently unsteady and modern turbine blades are susceptible to aeroelastic deformations. This study therefore…
We compare three different methodologies for simulation of turbulent flow past a vertical axis wind turbine: (i) full resolution of the turbine blades in a Direct Finite Element Simulation (DFS), (ii) implicit representation of the turbine…
Understanding how wakes interact with wind turbine blades under varying operating and inflow conditions is essential for improving fatigue prediction and performance assessment in increasingly dense wind farms. We present an experimental…
Tidal currents are renewable and predictable energy sources that could prove fundamental to decrease dependency from fossil fuels. Tidal currents, however, are highly unsteady and non uniform, resulting in undesirable load fluctuations on…
We present direct numerical simulations of a novel concept for a micro-scale wind turbine, inspired in the mechanics of the auto-rotation of winged seeds. In this nature-inspired concept the turbine blades have two degrees of freedom: the…
The cost of wind energy can be reduced by controlling the power reference of a turbine to increase energy capture, while maintaining load and generator speed constraints. We apply standard torque and pitch controllers to the direct inputs…
In the present study, we conduct numerical simulations of compressible flows around spheroid particles, for the purpose of refining empirical formulas for drag force, lift force, and pitching torque acting on them. Through an analysis of…
The unsteady power generation of a wind turbine translating in the streamwise direction is relevant to floating offshore wind turbines, kite-mounted airborne wind turbines, and other non-traditional wind-energy systems. To study this…
Time-varying flow-induced forces on bodies immersed in fluid flows play a key role across a range of natural and engineered systems, from biological locomotion to propulsion and energy-harvesting devices. These transient forces often arise…
This article presents two model-free controllers for wind-turbine torque and pitch control. These controllers are based on reinforcement learning (RL) and Bayesian optimization (BO) and do not rely on any mathematical model of the…
We discuss the dynamic force and torque characteristic of annular gaps resulting from an axial flow component. First, the rotordynamic influence of annular gaps with an axial flow component is recapitulated. So far there is a severe lack of…