Estudo numérico de um elemento intensificador de potência aplicado a uma turbina eólica de pequena escala

Abstract

It is presented a numerical study, using Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), of a wind power conversion system that consists of a horizontal axis wind turbine installed inside of a diffuser shroud with a flange at the exit periphery. The flanged diffuser shroud plays the role of a device for collecting and accelerating the approaching wind, thereby increasing the power generated by the turbine. In order to obtain an even higher power output, data found on literature concerning optimal parameters for the diffuser shroud, such as open angle, flange height, hub ratio and inlet shape, were used to generate the model studied in this paper. The obtained results from computational simulations were useful for evaluations of the criteria adopted for the study and velocities and pressure distributions. Furthermore, it was possible to calculate the axis power produced by the rotor and the mean wind velocities in the radial direction in front of the rotating plane of the blades for the bare wind turbine case and for the shrouded wind turbine case, making it possible to conclude that the proposed system provided a power increase for a given rotor diameter and Wind speed by a factor of 3.74 when compared to the bare Wind turbine configuration.