Numerical simulation of a two-stage contra-rotating vertical axis wind turbine

Abstract

This study presents a three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics investigation of the Vertical Axis Wind Turbine (VAWT) with a contra-rotating arrangement. Here we investigate the performance of the contra-rotating VAWT by varying two different parameters, namely the airfoil profile (thickness and camber size), and the vertical distance between the top and bottom rotor. Preliminary data indicate that thicker airfoils generate a higher coefficient of power (Cp) than the thinner airfoils. The cambered airfoils, however, do not generate such a trend, this suggests that cambered airfoil rotors may generate wingtip vortices that influence the opposite rotors. The wingtip vortex may also influ..