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Influence of struts on power coefficient
Hello,
I have a problem with struts during the simulation of my 100kW H-Type wind turbine. When I create a turbine with a single strut in the middle of the blade, the simulation results make sense and are acceptable (Cp is around 0.30). But when I create a turbine with two struts its Cp (therefore power) is drastically lower compared to a single strut variant. It’s also worth mentioning the further away struts are from each other the less power turbine produces. In the most extreme scenerio Cp is -0.22. Could you please tell me what do I do wrong? I don’t think struts placement should have such a massive impact.
Wind turbine parameters:
a) blade length – 25m
b) total height – 33.33m
c) airfoil – NACA 0018
d) chord length – 0.6m
e) radius – 8m
f) number of blades – 3
Simulation parameters:
a) wind speed – 11.5m/s
b) TSR – 2.8
Sincerely,
Nick
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Hi Nick,
I would consider the results you have obtained to be reasonable.
Struts can have a significant impact on the torque generated by the rotor. The primary influencing parameters are the strut chord and the associated drag coefficient.
Strut placement also plays an important role, as the struts are exposed to the non-uniform induction field generated by the rotor and its wake due to finite aspect ratio and end effects.
From the images you attached, it appears that a cylindrical strut geometry is being used. Replacing this with an airfoil shaped strut could reduce parasitic drag and its negative impact on rotor performance.
BR,
David
