NEXMEX02072010 Presentation Rethore

Modelling the MEXICO Wind Tunnel with CFD
Pierre-Elouan Réthoré Niels N. Sørensen Helge A. Madsen

pire@risoe.dtu.dk nsqr@risoe.dtu.dk hama@risoe.dtu.dk
Wind Energy Division · Risø DTU
MexNext Meeting
Forth · Heraklion · Crete · 1-2/7/10
Outline
1 Introduction
Background
The tunnel
2 Meshing
CAT file
Mesh design
3 Actuator Disc Model
4 Early results
Convergence issues
Steady state k-ω
Unsteady DES
5 Conclusion
Summary
Future work
Réthoré et al. pire@risoe.dtu.dk

1 of 26 Risø DTU MEXICO Wind Tunnel CFD Model · 1-2/7/10
Introduction
Outline
1 Introduction
Background
The tunnel
2 Meshing
CAT file
Mesh design
4 Early results
Convergence issues
Steady state k-ω
Unsteady DES
5 Conclusion
Summary
Future work

Introduction
Background
Questions surrounding the tunnel effect
Does the recirculation region affects the wake measurements?

Does the wind turbine blockage effect affects the wind speed
measurements?
Is the wind turbine affected by the wind tunnel?

How far downstream can we measure the wake?

Is there some unsteady effects?

Spoiler:
I won’t answer any of
these questions!
Introduction
The tunnel
In Real Life

Meshing
Outline
1 Introduction
Background
The tunnel
2 Meshing
CAT file
Mesh design
4 Early results
Convergence issues
Steady state k-ω
Unsteady DES
5 Conclusion
Summary
Future work

Meshing
CAT file
Perspective view
The nozzle and collector shapes are not available (confidential).

We made up some streamlined designs.

Meshing
CAT file
Top & Side view
Neglected in the mesh:

The two fundaments

Wind turbine hub
Wind turbine tower
Wall roughness
The small people waving
hands

Meshing
Mesh design
Top & Side view
The inlet and outlet are extended to avoid boundary issues.


Meshing
Mesh design
Perspective view
We use a slip boundary condition at the surface (zero gradient).

This reduces dramatically the number of cells necessary, but it

is done at the expense of the boundary layer description.

Meshing
Mesh design
Top view - Close up

Meshing
Mesh design
Internal Meshing Concept
The flow solver we use – EllipSys – is a structured multiblock

formulation. It is very fast to solve but makes complex

geometries difficult to mesh.
The collector was the most difficult part. Especially the

modellisation of the hole and the lips.

Meshing
Mesh design
Collector details
This part could have been so much more elegant with an

unstructured flow solver!

Meshing
Mesh design
On the meaning of life while meshing

Meshing
Mesh design
On the meaning of life while meshing
Nietzsche
“It is only as an aesthetic
phenomenon that life and existence
are eternally justified.”
— The Birth of Tragedy (1872)
=> Existence and the world become
meaningful not as objects of knowledge but
as artistic experience.

Actuator Disc Model
Outline
1 Introduction
Background
The tunnel
2 Meshing
CAT file
Mesh design
4 Early results
Convergence issues
Steady state k-ω
Unsteady DES
5 Conclusion
Summary
Future work

Actuator Disc Model
Force Distribution
The forces can be obtained from

different sources
Measurements

Blade Element Method (BEM)

Basic actuator disc theory
Full rotor computation in CFD
The force history of a rotor revolution is

smeared over a polar grid

The contribution of each polar grid

elements is added proportionally to the

intersectional area with the
computational mesh
The final force can be used directly or

scaled using the local velocity:

F = − 12 ρACD (U · n)2

Actuator Disc Model
Wake rotation
The tangential forces create the wake rotation (visible through

the stream-ribbons twisting).

In the present results the force distribution are found from a full

rotor computation of a Nortank 500 kW turbine. They are

normalized with the inflow velocities and the thrust coefficient.

Early results
Outline
1 Introduction
Background
The tunnel
2 Meshing
CAT file
Mesh design
4 Early results
Convergence issues
Steady state k-ω
Unsteady DES
5 Conclusion
Summary
Future work

Early results
Convergence issues
Residuals convergence
Residuals log10(|xi-1-xi|/|xi|) [-]
Iterations [-]
The velocity and pressure residuals only converge to

|xi − xi−1 |/ |xi | = 10−2 (we usually prefer |xi − xi−1 |/ |xi | < 10−6).
This can indicate a poor mesh design or physical instabilities.


Early results
Convergence issues
Disc velocity convergence
Disc velocity [m/s]
Iterations [-]
However, the velocity integrated over the disc reaches a

constant value.
This shows that the inflow velocity is relatively steady.


Early results
Steady state k-ω
Different wind speeds & same CT = 0.77
Velocity centerline z/D=−0.25
1.6
Disc u=1.0m/s
Disc u=2.0m/s
1.4 Disc u=3.0m/s
Disc u=4.0m/s
Disc u=5.0m/s
1.2 Disc u=6.0m/s
Disc u=7.0m/s
Disc u=8.0m/s
U−velocity U/Uin [−]
1 Disc u=9.0m/s
0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2
−10 −4.07 −1.77 0 2.98 6.03 10

Centerline x/D [−]
All the velocities collapse completely.

CT is the only parameter.

Early results
Steady state k-ω
All cases with same loading (CT = 0.77)
Velocity centerline z/D=−0.45 Velocity centerline z/D=−0.33
1.6 1.6
Tunnel & Disc Tunnel & Disc
Tunnel & No disc Tunnel & No disc
1.4 No tunnel & Disc 1.4 No tunnel & Disc
Tunnel (No Hole) & Disc Tunnel (No Hole) & Disc
1.2 1.2
[−]
U−velocity U/U [−]

U−velocity U/U
1 1
in
in
0.8 0.8
0.6 0.6
0.4 0.4
0.2 0.2
−10 −4.07 −1.77 0 2.98 6.03 10 −10 −4.07 −1.77 0 2.98 6.03 10
Centerline x/D [−] Centerline x/D [−]
constant velocity in the jet section with no disc.

Increase bump in the nozzle.

Relatively good agreement between the wind tunnel / no wind
tunnel case for x/ D ∈ [−1, 1.3].
Little difference between hole / no hole cases for x/ D > 1.3.


Early results
Steady state k-ω
Velocity centerline z/D=−0.45 Velocity cente
1.6 1.6
1.2 1.2
in [−]

U−velocity U/U
1 1
0.8 0.8
0.6 0.6
0.4 0.4
0.2 0.2
−10 −4.07 −1.77 0 2.98 6.03 10 −10 −4.07 −1.77 0

Centerline x/D [−] Centerline


Early results
Steady state k-ω

Early results
Steady state k-ω
Velocity centerline z/D=−0.45 Velocity centerline z/D=−0.33
1.6 1.6
1.2 1.2
[−]
U−velocity U/U [−]

U−velocity U/U
1 1
in
in
0.8 0.8
0.6 0.6
0.4 0.4
0.2 0.2
−10 −4.07 −1.77 0 2.98 6.03 10 −10 −4.07 −1.77 0 2.98 6.03 10
Centerline x/D [−] Centerline x/D [−]

Increase bump in the nozzle.

Relatively good agreement between the wind tunnel / no wind
tunnel case for x/ D ∈ [−1, 1.3].
Little difference between hole / no hole cases for x/ D > 1.3.


Early results
Steady state k-ω
Vorticity contour
Instability region at the jet interface.

Rapid contraction of the wake width due to the collector.

Early results
Steady state k-ω
Axial velocity along cross sections
Velocity cross section x/D=−1
1.2
0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2 Tunnel & Disc

Tunnel & No disc
0 No tunnel & Disc
Tunnel (No Hole) & Disc
−0.2
−2 −1 0 1 2
Cross section z/D [−]
The upstream profiles look the same.

Early results
Steady state k-ω
1.2
0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2 Tunnel & Disc

Tunnel & No disc
0 No tunnel & Disc
−0.2
−2 −1 0 1 2
The profiles start to change around 1.4D–1.5D.

Early results
Steady state k-ω
1.2
0.8
0.6
0.4
0.2 Tunnel & Disc

Tunnel & No disc
0 No tunnel & Disc
−0.2
−2 −1 0 1 2
the central part of the wake is more detailed in the “wind tunnel”
mesh than in the “no wind tunnel” mesh.

Early results
Unsteady DES
Axial velocity contour
Unsteady region at the jet interface.

Recirculation.
Wake oscillation.
Early results
Unsteady DES
Velocity cross section

Conclusion
Outline
1 Introduction
Background
The tunnel
2 Meshing
CAT file
Mesh design
4 Early results
Convergence issues
Steady state k-ω
Unsteady DES
5 Conclusion
Summary
Future work

Conclusion
Summary
What have we learned so far?
On meshing:

It would be nice to have the exact geometry of the nozzle.

Meshing wind tunnel in block structured mesh can be very slow

and painful.
Unstructured mesh can be a good idea.

Reading Nietzsche helps (but consume it with moderation!).

Conclusion
Summary
What have we learned so far?
On meshing:

It would be nice to have the exact geometry of the nozzle.

Meshing wind tunnel in block structured mesh can be very slow

and painful.
Unstructured mesh can be a good idea.

Reading Nietzsche helps (but consume it with moderation!).

On open-jet wind tunnels:

It generates unsteady oscillations at the interface that impacts the

wake structure.
The jet should be much wider than the turbine.

The collector has a big impact on the wake region (x > 1.3D). It is
not clear yet if the wake measurements are compromised.
The hole does not seem to have an important effect on the

recirculation.

Conclusion
Future work
What is next?
Full rotor computation (overset grid & parallel).

Linking the actuator disc with an aerodynamic code (e.g.

HAWC2, FLEX5).
Actuator line.

Comparison with the measurements.

Refined Nozzle.
Modelling other bluff bodies (Hub, Tower, Fundaments, small
people waving hands)?
. . . Other ideas?


Questions & Suggestions
Thank you for your attention!


NEXMEX02072010 Presentation Rethore

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

NEXMEX02072010 Presentation Rethore

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Modelling the MEXICO Wind Tunnel with CFD

Pierre-Elouan Réthoré Niels N. Sørensen Helge A. Madsen

Wind Energy Division · Risø DTU

Réthoré et al. pire@risoe.dtu.dk

Réthoré et al. pire@risoe.dtu.dk

Does the recirculation region affects the wake measurements?

How far downstream can we measure the wake?

Réthoré et al. pire@risoe.dtu.dk

Réthoré et al. pire@risoe.dtu.dk

Réthoré et al. pire@risoe.dtu.dk

The nozzle and collector shapes are not available (confidential).

We made up some streamlined designs.

Réthoré et al. pire@risoe.dtu.dk

Neglected in the mesh:

Réthoré et al. pire@risoe.dtu.dk

The inlet and outlet are extended to avoid boundary issues.

Réthoré et al. pire@risoe.dtu.dk

We use a slip boundary condition at the surface (zero gradient).

This reduces dramatically the number of cells necessary, but it

Réthoré et al. pire@risoe.dtu.dk

Réthoré et al. pire@risoe.dtu.dk

The flow solver we use – EllipSys – is a structured multiblock

formulation. It is very fast to solve but makes complex

modellisation of the hole and the lips.

This part could have been so much more elegant with an

unstructured flow solver!

Réthoré et al. pire@risoe.dtu.dk

Réthoré et al. pire@risoe.dtu.dk

Réthoré et al. pire@risoe.dtu.dk

The forces can be obtained from

Blade Element Method (BEM)

smeared over a polar grid

elements is added proportionally to the

scaled using the local velocity:

Réthoré et al. pire@risoe.dtu.dk

The tangential forces create the wake rotation (visible through

the stream-ribbons twisting).

rotor computation of a Nortank 500 kW turbine. They are

Réthoré et al. pire@risoe.dtu.dk

Réthoré et al. pire@risoe.dtu.dk

Residuals log10(|xi-1-xi|/|xi|) [-]

The velocity and pressure residuals only converge to

Réthoré et al. pire@risoe.dtu.dk

Disc velocity [m/s]

However, the velocity integrated over the disc reaches a

Réthoré et al. pire@risoe.dtu.dk

−10 −4.07 −1.77 0 2.98 6.03 10

All the velocities collapse completely.

CT is the only parameter.

U−velocity U/U [−]

constant velocity in the jet section with no disc.

Increase bump in the nozzle.

Réthoré et al. pire@risoe.dtu.dk

U−velocity U/Uin [−]

−10 −4.07 −1.77 0 2.98 6.03 10 −10 −4.07 −1.77 0

constant velocity in the jet section with no disc.

Réthoré et al. pire@risoe.dtu.dk

Réthoré et al. pire@risoe.dtu.dk

U−velocity U/U [−]

constant velocity in the jet section with no disc.

Increase bump in the nozzle.

Réthoré et al. pire@risoe.dtu.dk

Instability region at the jet interface.