Simulation and modeling of flow field around a horizontal axis wind turbine (HAWT) using RANS method
Date of Award
2010
Document Type
Thesis
Publication Status
Version of Record
Submission Date
October 2026
Abstract
The principal objective of the proposed CFD analysis is to investigate the flow field around a horizontal axis wind turbine rotor and calculate the turbine's power. A full three dimensional computational fluid dynamics method based on Reynolds Averaged Navier Stokes approach was used in this study. The wind turbine has three blades and a rotor diameter of six meters. One third of the wind turbine rotor was modeled by means of 120o periodicity in a moving reference frame system. The power coefficient curve obtained from the CFD results is compared with experimental data obtained by NREL Phase VI rotor experiment. The numerical result for the power coefficient curve shows close agreement with the experimental data. The simulation results include the velocity distribution, pressure distribution along the flow direction, turbulent wake behind the wind turbine, and the turbine's power. The discussion will also include the effect of wind speed on turbine's power.
Extent
ix, 93 p. : ill. (some col.)
Recommended Citation
Sargsyan, Armen., "Simulation and modeling of flow field around a horizontal axis wind turbine (HAWT) using RANS method" (2010). Electronic Theses and Dissertations 2010 - 2019. 175.
https://digitalcommons.fau.edu/etd_general_6/175
Identifier
FADT2979383
Comments
by Armen Sargsyan.|Thesis (M.S.C.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2010.|Includes bibliography.|Electronic reproduction. Boca Raton, Fla., 2010. Mode of access: World Wide Web.|by Armen Sargsyan.