Modeling and Simulation of the Vertical Axis Wind Turbine by Qblade Software

Abstract

The use of wind energy has no harmful effects on the environment. This makes it a clean energy that is a real alternative to the problem of nuclear waste management and greenhouse gas emissions. Vertical axis wind turbines have prospective advantages in the field of domestic applications, because they have proven effectual in urban areas where wind flow conditions are intermittent, omnidirectional, unsteady and turbulent. The wind cannot ensure a regular energy supply without optimising the aerodynamics of the blades. This article presents a reminder about wind energy and wind turbines, especially the VAWT type wind turbines and also gives a presentation on the aerodynamic side of VAWT by studying the geometry and aerodynamic characteristics of the blade profiles with the acting forces and also the explanation of the DMS multiple flow tube model. This work also gives the different simulation methods to optimize the behaviour of the blades from the selected NACA profiles; the analysis first goes through the design of the blades by the design and simulation software Qblade which is used to calculate also the forces on the blade and the coefficients of lift, drag and fineness. At the end of this article we have the DMS simulation of the VAWT turbines, by determining the power coefficient and the power collected by the turbine to select the wind turbine adapted to a well characterized site.