applications


Vortex needs to create a device with no moving parts in contact to dramatically reduce the LCoE (Levelised Cost of Energy) compared to conventional wind turbines. Tere are three technical issues that must be resolved to do this. First, to harvest as much energy as possible,


Turbulence simulation from Vortex


the mast is used as the collector element with the vortex-induced vibrations as the operating principle. Second, the device’s frequency of oscillation must be adapted to produce energy in a wider range of wind speeds. Tird, and finally, the lightest generator possible must be designed to transform the oscillatory movement of the mast into usable power. Vortex Bladeless uses HyperWorks, the Altair


suite of tools for CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics), FSI (Fluid-Structure Interaction) and EMAG (Electromagnetic Analysis) simulations and models. Te tool Acusolve is used for the CFD


Composite of a wind farm with turbines ➤


Bladeless turbines for all However, innovative wind power designs are still being developed in the industry. For example, Vortex Bladeless is taking a very different approach to wind turbine design, as it is developing bladeless wind generators to produce energy for the residential market. Te seed of the idea comes from the


wind-induced Tacoma Narrows Bridge collapse in 1940 where a physical effect called ‘vortex shedding’ induced vibrations into the structure of the bridge. Tese bladeless devices look like giant


wobbling baseball bats, as David Suriol, CEO at Vortex, explained: ‘Vortex Bladeless devices are designed to take advantage of this effect to harvest energy from the wind. We are working on the optimisation of the design so it can generate enough power for a household. Wind power is not common in the residential market. Te existing wind power technologies are used for utility scale market more than residential. Te conventional three-bladed wind turbines for microgeneration, or the Darrieus systems, do not play a role of importance for residential applications.’ Suriol added: ‘Vortex’s aim is to be the solar


panel of the wind industry, harvesting and producing energy from the wind, but in a similar way and costs that the solar panels do; without making any noise, with much less maintenance, and at a lower cost.’ Such innovation is not without challenges, as


28 SCIENTIFIC COMPUTING WORLD


simulations to model the VIV (Vortex Induced Vibrations) and aerodynamics of the system. FSI models are needed so the interaction between the structure and air can be described. ‘Tanks to an EMAG tool, we can create models to develop the generator and also the tuning system and to understand how they affect each other and could be affecting the whole device performance. Tanks to Flux [the Altair EMAG tool], we can develop this part of the device faster, cheaper and more efficiently,’ Suriol added. ‘Some other tools, such as solidTinking


Inspire, which is a concept design soſtware based on topological optimisation, gives us the opportunity to create structural parts for the device with the lowest mass [weight] possible, which is very important for a system that is moved by the wind. ‘For a small company like Vortex Bladeless, the


development of a new technology is the raison d’être, but it is also very risky. In order to create new models, if they were built as actual models, tons of hours and money would be spent. ‘Tanks to simulations like the Altair suite is


bringing to us, much more models can be created as computations and just those which fulfill the requirements are fabricated, so the development process is much more efficient and affordable,’ Suriol added.


Turbine locations Of course, there’s no point developing a cutting- edge wind turbine if you put it in a location with a terrible wind profile. So, the technical team at RES (Renewable Energy Systems) improves the accurate placement of wind turbines and enables more detailed energy yield analysis with help from an OCF HPC cluster using Cray Hardware. Dr Alice Ely, a technical analyst and CFD


specialist at the RES Group, said: ‘We oſten work with extremely complex terrain that suffers


from turbulence and large areas of recirculation. Te method we use is called measure, correlate, predict. So, we measure on site using a temporary mast for one to two years, and we then correlate that measured data with long-term reference data and from that we create the long-term wind climate of the site.’ Tis data is then applied to the wind speed


prediction, flow modelling, turbine wake effects, and noise. Tis information is then used to optimise wind farm layouts and improve energy yield and profitability. Ely said: ‘Tere’s a general tendency now for


wind farms to be larger and placed in regions of ever-increasing terrain complexity and harsher climates. Some sites also need taller masts if they are surrounded by forestry and this can cause turbulence issues, for example. ‘Tis increased complexity challenges the


models. Te importance of atmospheric stability and diurnal changes in the wind climate are becoming really important. For example, we’re


THE IMPORTANCE OF


ATMOSPHERIC STABILITY AND DIURNAL CHANGES IN THE WIND CLIMATE ARE BECOMING REALLY IMPORTANT. WE’RE STARTING TO MODEL THE SEVERITY OF ICING AND ITS IMPACT ON ENERGY PRODUCTION IN COLD CLIMATES


starting to model the severity of icing and its impact on the energy production in cold climate locations,’ Ely added. Te team can also compare individual turbine


types and their power curves, using in-house soſtware to optimise the wind farm layout. Once installed, deeper data analysis is conducted to identify performance trends to ensure maintenance is carried out to avoid costly failure. Tis is an exciting challenge for the wind


industry. While manufacturers want to improve the lifetime of wind turbines, they are increasingly placed in harsh locations where more damage to the turbine is likely and maintenance could be tricky due to the unforgiving environments these turbines now exist in. Simulation and modelling provide


manufacturers with the means to achieve this, as Hayhurst concluded: ‘Once a wind turbine is installed, particularly for offshore installations, modifications, maintenance and refits are very expensive. Simulation is essential to make such systems right first time.’ l


@scwmagazine l www.scientific-computing.com


Altair/Dassault/Ansys


Altair/Dassault/Ansys


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