3D CFD modeling for the limits’ identification of 2D flow pattern’s effects on the aerodynamic performance of a reference H-Darrieus prototype

Abstract: The comparative assessment carried out in this paper aims to investigate the results driven from our 2D and 3D CFD modeling of H-Darrieus, based on the URANS approach. It describes the aerodynamic operation of H-Darrieus that has been used for several numerical investigations since 2010. The k- ω SST has been used to reproduce the flow structures developing in the wake. The maximal 2D and 3D power coefficients that have been achieved are Cp= 0.4016 and Cp= 0.5734 , respectively for λ= 3.0976 . The maximal 2D and 3D absolute error, which is corresponding to the power coefficient assessment were equal respectively to 14.9714% and 29.1582%. They were calculated at λ= 2.5183 and λ= 3.0976 . Our parametric study showed that the increase range of the power coefficient, while taking into account the 3D aerodynamic effects becomes larger than that obtained by 2D calculations. This range is defined in 3D modeling between λ= 1.85 and λ= 3.10 , while it is defined in 2D modeling by the interval having the bounds λ= 2.05 and λ= 3.10 . The necessary contours to conduct our confrontation between the 2D and 3D approach and to describe the flow structures developing around H-Darrieus were constructed and discussed. Graphical abstract: [Figure not available: see fulltext.].