水平轴海流能发电机叶片设计与性能分析

全球海洋蕴藏着丰富的海流能,合理利用海流能可以有效缓解能源危机。以额定工况下获能系数达到最大值为目标,利用叶素-动量理论设计了150 kW水平轴海流能发电机的叶片。使用叶素-动量理论结合普朗特修正和葛劳渥修正的方法,预测了海流机在不同尖速比以及不同桨距角下的水动力性能,分析了攻角和载荷沿着叶片径向的分布规律。使用CFD方法计算了海流机在不同尖速比下的水动力性能,并与理论方法的计算结果进行了比较。理论方法和CFD方法的结果均表明,所设计的海流机最大获能系数位于设计尖速比处,证明基于叶素-动量理论的水平轴海流机叶片设计方法是有效的。     

水平轴潮流能水力涡轮数值模拟与试验研究

首先,使用叶素动量理论对所设计的室内试验用小型水平轴潮流能水力涡轮叶片模型进行初步计算,获得其性能参数,此后借助NUMECA软件,采用三维计算流体动力学(CFD)方法对水平轴水力涡轮进行三维水动力分析,得到其性能曲线,最后通过试验水槽进行模型试验,对BEM计算结果和CFD计算结果进行验证,结果表明:叶素动量理论和CFD方法均能对水力涡轮性能进行有效预测,且CFD方法具有更高的精度;此外,根据CFD方法得到叶片表明的压力分布,根据空化条件可知,该水力涡轮会发生空化。     

潮流能水轮机仿真及尾流场分析

为了研究潮流能水轮机尾流场的变化规律,本文在水平轴水轮机现有理论基础上,采用计算流体力学技术建立了数值模型,计算了水轮机的功率特性,进行了网格独立性验证,比较了模型中旋转区域不同对结果的影响。仿真结果与试验结果进行了对比分析,验证了数值模型的有效性。研究了全工况下尾流场速度衰减随尖速比和距离变化的规律,结果显示在小尖速比下尾流场速度恢复情况相对大尖速比下较好;靠近水轮机轮毂中心线位置处,衰减相对较大。研究建议水轮机在同等功率表现下尽量选择在小尖速比下工作,水轮机组在实际排列时避免采用成列布置,水轮机设计阶段应综合考虑功率特性和尾流场衰减。本文研究内容可以为潮流能水轮机的研究以及阵列式应用提供参考。     

海底地形对潮流能水轮机水动力学性能影响数值模拟研究

为研究海底地形尾流对潮流能水轮机水动力学性能的影响,采用CFD方法,使用开源软件Code_saturne,选取具有代表性的二维梯形地形,对有无地形两种工况下的水轮机的性能分别进行数值模拟,得到不同尖速比的水轮机性能参数曲线。通过水槽试验与数值模拟结果对比,验证用CFD数值模拟直接求解含有地形流场中的水轮机各项性能参数的可靠性。利用数值模拟方法对梯形地形的尾流分布进行分析,进而研究海底地形尾流对水轮机性能的影响距离,为潮流能水轮机的微观选址提供一定参考。     

水平轴潮流能叶轮尖速比特性分析研究

针对设计尖速比对水平轴潮流能叶轮动力特性的影响问题开展研究工作。基于叶素-动量理论建立叶轮动力特性仿真模型,以叶片数量分别为2、3、4的叶轮为对象,考察设计尖速比对叶轮的功率系数的影响。研究结果表明:设计尖速比越大的叶轮,其最大效率也越高;叶片数量多的叶轮,其功率系数略优于叶片数量少的叶片。结合分析结果,给出了水平轴潮流能叶轮的设计尖速比的选择建议。     

潮流能水平轴水轮机叶片扭角与弦长分布研究

叶片是潮流能水轮机的关键部件,为获取综合性能良好的潮流能水平轴水轮机,采用解析计算与CFD仿真结合的方法研究叶片扭角与弦长分布。以叶素效率最大原则,推导叶片扭角与弦长的理想分布计算模型,并研究尖速比对叶片扭角与弦长分布的影响;综合考虑水轮机获能效率、可靠性、安全性及叶片加工制造等因素,提出对叶片扭角与弦长修正分布模型;运用Fluent软件对20kW水轮机设计实例性能分析,结果显示修正模型水轮机转矩满足获能要求,轴向力明显减小,有利于工程应用中水轮机的稳定运行。     

水平轴潮流能水轮机水动力数值模拟研究

针对水平轴潮流能水轮机,对其进行了力学分析并运用CFD方法对其水动力性能进行了仿真计算。比较了定常计算与非定常计算结果的区别,运用定常计算(MRF)方法得到了表现水轮机性能的功率、扭矩和推力特性曲线,分析了水轮机在不同尖速比时的表现。对水轮机模型进行了拖曳水池试验,并与仿真数据进行了比对分析,两者吻合度较好,并分析了试验过程中出现的在尖速比较大时功率系数衰减的现象,表明CFD方法对水轮机的工程实践有着指导意义。得到了尾流场的速度云图、流线分布图与衰减曲线,结果表明相对于水轮机的直径,受到其影响后的流场存在扩张现象。分析了水轮机后不同位置处的流场衰减情况,结果显示,随着水轮机后轴向距离的不同其速度恢复差别很大,对于今后潮流能水轮机的大规模布置方式研究提供了依据。     

基于UDF的水平轴潮流能水轮机被动旋转水动力性能研究

针对水平轴潮流能水轮机被动旋转问题,基于Fluent 17.0,运用UDF(User Defined Function)控制滑移网格对网格进行动态调整,仿真研究水轮机在不同安放角下被动旋转的水动力特性。通过仿真分析,结果表明:潮流能水轮机随着叶片安放角度的增加,尖速比、输出功率、捕能系数都是先增大后减小,叶片安放角为6°时,叶轮前后速度差最大,对潮流能利用充分,且各项性能均达到最佳;通过分析叶片受力,叶尖叶素在安放角为2°时阻力最大,3°时升力最大,升阻比在6°时最大,此时叶尖叶素升阻比C_L/C_D=6.27、攻角α=3.06°。由仿真结果可知水平轴潮流能叶轮的自启动过程由5个阶段组成,即加速度增大的加速运动段—加速度减小的加速运动段—加速度反向增大的减速运动段—加速度反向减小的减速运动段—稳定运行段,这对潮流能水轮机的设计具有重要的指导意义。     

水平轴潮流能发电装置结构对其水动力性能的影响

为研究水平轴潮流能发电装置结构对其水动力性能的影响,运用格子玻尔兹曼(LBM)方法,建立水平轴潮流能发电装置的数值模拟分析模型,对水轮机在不同尖速比工况下的水动力性能进行模拟。将模拟结果与同工况水池拖曳实验得到的数据相对比,二者捕获能系数误差在2%左右,验证了LBM方法的可行性和准确性。在此基础上利用LBM方法研究机舱和立柱结构对水轮机特性的影响,得到其对水轮机捕获效率的影响规律。     

湍流对潮流能发电水轮机性能影响数值仿真研究

潮流能发电水轮机的实际工作海域往往存在不同程度的湍流,而湍流会对潮流能发电水轮机的获能系数、轴向力系数和尾流场性能等产生影响。研究湍流对潮流能发电水轮机性能的影响规律,对于实海况下潮流能发电水轮机的性能预测、可靠性和安全性的提高以及潮流能发电场多机组排布优化等具有一定的参考价值。通过对潮流能发电水轮机试验模型进行建模,并用CFD(Computational Fluid Dynamics)分析软件Fluent对处于不同湍流强度下的潮流能发电水轮机性能进行数值模拟,得到其获能系数、轴向力系数及尾流场特性。通过分析数值模拟结果,并与相关参考文献的试验结果进行对比。研究结果表明:湍流强度越大,水轮机获能系数和轴向力系数越小,尾流场速度恢复越快;水轮机后方尾流场纵向和横向影响区域更大。     

An efficient and robust approach to predict ship self-propulsion coefficients

Achieving a reliable and accurate numerical prediction of the self-propulsion performance of a ship is still an open problem that poses some relevant issues. Several CFD methods, ranging from boundary element methods (BEM) to higher-fidelity viscous Reynolds averaged Navier–Stokes (RANS) based solvers, can be used to accurately analyze the separate problems, i.e. the open water propeller and the hull calm water resistance. However, when the fully-coupled self-propulsion problem is considered, i.e. the hull advancing at uniform speed propelled by its own propulsion system, several complexities rise up. Typical flow simplifications adopted to speed-up the simulations of the single analysis (hull and propeller separately) lose their validity requiring a more complex solver to tackle the fully-coupled problem. The complexity rises up further when considering a maneuver condition. This aspect increases the computational burden and, consequently, the required time which becomes prohibitive in a preliminary ship design stage.The majority of the simplified methods proposed in literature to include propeller effects, without directly solve the propeller flow, in a high-fidelity viscous solver are not able to provide all the commonly required self-propulsion coefficients. In this work, a new method to enrich the results from a body force based approach is proposed and investigated, with the aim to reduce as much as possible the computational burden without losing any useful result. This procedure is tested for validation on the KCS hull form in self-propulsion and maneuver conditions.     

Effective boundary element method for the interaction of oblique waves with long prismatic structures in water of finite depth

An effective boundary element method (BEM) is presented for the interaction between oblique waves and long prismatic structures in water of finite depth. The Green's function used here is the basic Green's function that does not satisfy any boundary condition. Therefore, the discretized elements for the computation must be placed on all the boundaries. To improve the computational efficiency and accuracy, a modified method for treatment of the open boundary conditions and a direct analytical approach for the singularity integrals in the boundary integral equation are adopted. The present BEM method is applied to the calculation of hydrodynamic coefficients and wave exciting forces for long horizontal rectangular and circular structures. The performance of the present method is demonstrated by comparisons of results with those generated by other analytical and numerical methods.     

A Simulation Model for the Evaluation of the Electrical Power Potential Harnessed by a Marine Current Turbine

This paper deals with the development of a Matlab-Simulink model of a marine current turbine system through the modeling of the resource and the rotor. The simulation model has two purposes: performances and dynamic loads evaluation in different operating conditions and control system development for turbine operation based on pitch and speed control. In this case, it is necessary to find a compromise between the simulation model accuracy and the control-loop computational speed. The blade element momentum (BEM) approach is then used for the turbine modeling. As the developed simulation model is intended to be used as a sizing and site evaluation tool for current turbine installations, it has been applied to evaluate the extractable power from the Raz de Sein (Brittany, France). Indeed, tidal current data from the Raz de Sein are used to run the simulation model over various flow regimes and yield the power capture with time.     

Fully nonlinear numerical wave tank (NWT) simulations and wave run-up prediction around 3-D structures

A finite-difference scheme and a modified marker-and-cell (MAC) algorithm have been developed to investigate the interactions of fully nonlinear waves with two- or three-dimensional structures of arbitrary shape. The Navier–Stokes (NS) and continuity equations are solved in the computational domain and the boundary values are updated at each time step by the finite-difference time-marching scheme in the framework of a rectangular coordinate system. The fully nonlinear kinematic free-surface condition is implemented by the marker-density function (MDF) technique developed for two fluid layers.To demonstrate the capability and accuracy of the present method, the numerical simulation of backstep flows with free-surface, and the numerical tests of the MDF technique with limit functions are conducted. The 3D program was then applied to nonlinear wave interactions with conical gravity platforms of circular and octagonal cross-sections. The numerical prediction of maximum wave run-up on arctic structures is compared with the prediction of the Shore Protection Manual (SPM) method and those of linear and second-order diffraction analyses based on potential theory and boundary element method (BEM). Through this comparison, the effects of non-linearity and viscosity on wave loading and run-up are discussed.     

Wells turbine with end plates for wave energy conversion

In order to improve the performance of the Wells turbine for wave energy conversion, the effect of end plate on the turbine characteristics has been investigated experimentally by model testing. As a result, it is found that the characteristics of the Wells turbine with end plates are superior to those of the original Wells turbine, i.e., the turbine without end plate and the characteristics are dependent on the size and position of end plate. Furthermore, by using a computational fluid dynamics (CFD), reason of the performance improvement of the turbine has been clarified and the effectiveness of the end plate has been demonstrated.     

Numerical and experimental study on seakeeping performance of a SWATH vehicle in head waves

The seakeeping characteristics of a Small Waterplane Area Twin Hull (SWATH) vehicle equipped with fixed stabilizing fins was investigated by experimental and numerical methods The calculation methods range from viscous CFD simulation based on an unsteady RANS approach to Boundary Element Method (BEM) based on Three Dimensional Translating-pulsating Source Green Function (3DTP). Responses of ship motions in head regular waves and nonlinear effects on motion responses with increasing wave amplitude were analyzed. Numerical simulations have been validated by comparisons with experimental tests. The results indicate that the heave and pitch transfer functions depict two peaks with the increase of wave length. Comparisons amongst experimental data and different numerical calculations illustrate that the RANS method predicts ship motions with higher accuracy and allows the detection of nonlinear effects. The heave and pitch transfer functions see a downward trend with the increasing wave amplitude in the resonant zone at low speed.     

Numerical investigation on the performance of Wells turbine with non-uniform tip clearance for wave energy conversion

The performance of a Wells turbine with various non-uniform tip clearances was investigated using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). The investigation was performed on numerical models of a NACA0020 blade profile under steady flow conditions. The performance of turbines with uniform and non-uniform tip clearances was compared. The results were also compared with experimental results in literature. It was shown that the performance of turbine with non-uniform tip clearance is similar with that of turbine with uniform one in terms of torque coefficient, input power coefficient, and efficiency. However, the turbine with non-uniform tip clearance seems to have a preferable overall performance. An investigation on the flow-field around the turbine blade was performed in order to explain the phenomena.     

Numerical Study of A Generic Tidal Turbine Using BEM Optimization Methods

Three blade-geometry optimization models derived along with assumptions from the blade element momentum(BEM) approach are studied by using a steady BEM code to improve a small horizontal-axis rotor of three blades that has been previously used in experiments. The base rotor blade has linear-radially varying chord length and pitch angle, while the other three models noted as Burton, Implicit and Hansen due to their references and characteristics yield blades of non-linearly varying chord length and pitch angle. The aim is to compare these rapid models and study how assumptions embedded in them affect performance and induction factors. It is found that the model that has the least assumptions(Hansen) and which considers the blade-profile drag in its optimization procedure yields the highest power coefficient, C_P, at the optimal tip speed ratio(TSR), about 7% higher than the base one and also higher C_P at high TSR. It produces an axial induction factor distribution along the blade that is closest to the 1 D optimal value of 1/3. All optimized tangential induction-factor distributions along the blade closely vary as inverse to the square of the radial distance, while being mildly higher than the base distribution. It shows that sufficient swirl is necessary to increase power but at a level causing not too much energy loss in unnecessary swirl of the wake. At high TSR, all optimized rotors adversely produce higher thrust than the base one, but the one with most embedded assumptions(Burton) produces the highest thrust. Details of all three optimization models are given along with the distributions of the power, thrust, blade hydrodynamic efficiency and induction factors.