Numerical Calculation of Unsteady Flow Fields: Feasibility of Applying the Weis Fogh Mechanism to Water Turbines

Abstract

In this study, a reciprocatingtype water turbine model that applies the principle of the WeisFogh mechanism was proposed, and the model's unsteady flow field was calculated by an advanced vortex method. The primary conditions were as follows: wing chord C=1, wing shaft stroke length hs=2.5C, and the maximum opening angle of the wing خ±=36 deg. The dynamic characteristics and unsteady flow fields of a WeisFogh type water turbine were investigated with velocity ratios U/V = 1.0 ∼ 3.0. Force coefficients Cu and Cv acting on the wing in the U and V directions, respectively, were found to have a strong correlation each other. The size of a separated region on the back face of the wing increased as the velocity ratio increased and as the wing approached the opposite wall. The rapid drop in Cv during a stroke increased as the velocity ratio increased, and the average Cu and Cv increased as the velocity ratio increased. The maximum efficiency of this water turbine was 14.1% at U/V = 2.0 for one wing.