Study of surface roughness on flow past a wind turbine tower section

• Published in: Journal of physics. Conference series 2024-06, Vol.2767 (2), p.22063
• Main Authors: VimalKumar, Shyam, De Tavernier, Delphine, Von Terzi, Dominic, Belloli, Marco, Viré, Axelle
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aerodynamic characteristics; Aerodynamics; Boundary layer transition; Eddy viscosity; Flow separation; Flow simulation; Fluid flow; High Reynolds number; Pressure gradients; Reynolds averaged Navier-Stokes method; Reynolds number; Simulation; Surface roughness; Towers; Turbulent boundary layer; Turbulent flow; Vorticity; Wind turbines
• ISSN: 1742-6588; 1742-6596
• DOI: 10.1088/1742-6596/2767/2/022063

The flow around wind turbine towers usually reaches very high Reynolds numbers greater than a million. Understanding the flow around the towers under these conditions is crucial, as it may lead to vibrations due to the vortices formed. Investigating aerodynamic characteristics at such high Reynolds numbers, both numerically and experimentally, is challenging. The current study validates such an experimental study, where a rough surface is employed to increase the effective Reynolds numbers and accelerate the laminar-turbulent transition in the boundary layer. Unsteady Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) simulations are carried out using OpenFOAM for a Reynolds number range of 1.36·10 5 to 6.8·10 5 . The constant ( a 1 ) used to calculate the eddy viscosity is varied to simulate the flow separation during adverse pressure gradients. A force partitioning method is implemented in OpenFOAM and various force contributions are analysed for this Reynolds number range. It is seen that the RANS simulations overpredict the aerodynamic characteristics and the extent of flow separation unless the value of a 1 is varied as a function of the Reynolds number. Furthermore, it is observed that the only force contributor is the vorticity-induced force, as the simulations are performed for a fixed cylinder.