Experimental and numerical investigation of the influence of roughness and turbulence on LUT airfoil performance

Vertical-axis wind turbines(VAWTs)have been widely used in urban environments,which contain dust and experience strong turbulence.However,airfoils for VAWTs in urban environments have received considerably less research attention than those for horizontal-axis wind turbines(HAWTs).In this study,the sensitivity of a new VAWT airfoil developed at the Lanzhou University of Technology(LUT)to roughness was investigated via a wind tunnel experiment.The results show that the LUT airfoil is less sensitive to roughness at a roughness height of<0.35 mm.Moreover,the drag bucket of the LUT airfoil decreases with increasing roughness height.Furthermore,the loads on the LUT airfoil during dynamic stall were studied at different turbulence intensities using a numerical method at a tip-speed ratio of 2.Before the stall,the turbulence intensity did not considerably affect the normal or tangential force coefficients of the LUT airfoil.However,after the stall,the normal force coefficient varied obviously at low turbulence intensity.Moreover,as the turbulence intensity increased,the normal and tangential force coefficients decreased rapidly,particularly in the downwind region of the VAWT.

A nonlinear model for aerodynamic configuration of wake behind horizontal-axis wind turbine

Determination of the aerodynamic configuration of wake is the key to analysis and evaluation of the rotor aerodynamic characteristics of a horizontal-axis wind turbine. According to the aerodynamic configuration, the real magnitude and direction of the onflow velocity at the rotor blade can be determined, and subsequently, the aerodynamic force on the rotor can be determined. The commonly employed wake aerodynamic models are of the cylindrical form instead of the actual expanding one. This is because the influence of the radial component of the induced velocity on the wake configuration is neglected. Therefore, this model should be called a "linear model". Using this model means that the induced velocities at the rotor blades and aerodynamic loads on them would be inexact. An approximately accurate approach is proposed in this paper to determine the so-called "nonlinear" wake aerodynamic configuration by means of the potential theory, where the influence of all three coordinate components of the induced velocity on wake aerodynamic configuration is taken into account to obtain a kind of expanding wake that approximately looks like an actual one. First, the rotor aerodynamic model composed of axial (central), bound, and trailing vortexes is established with the help of the finite aspect wing theory. Then, the Biot-Savart formula for the potential flow theory is used to derive a set of integral equations to evaluate the three components of the induced velocity at any point within the wake. The numerical solution to the integral equations is found, and the loci of all elementary trailing vortex filaments behind the rotor are determined thereafter. Finally, to formulate an actual wind turbine rotor, using the nonlinear wake model, the induced velocity everywhere in the wake, especially that at the rotor blade, is obtained in the case of various tip speed ratios and compared with the wake boundary in a neutral atmospheric boundary layer. Hereby, some useful and referential conclusions are offered for the aerodynamic computation and design of the rotor of the horizontal-axis wind turbine.

On large-signal modeling of GaN HEMTs: past, development and future

In the past few decades,circuits based on gallium nitride high elec-tron mobility transistor(GaN HEMT)have demonstrated exceptional potential in a wide range of high-power and high-frequency applica-tions,such as the new generation mobile communications,object de-tection and consumer electronics,etc.As a critical intermediary be-tween GaN HEMT devices and circuit-level applications,GaN HEMT large-signal models play a pivotal role in the design,application and development of GaN HEMT devices and circuits.This review pro-vides an in-depth examination of the advancements in GaN HEMT large-signal modeling in recent decades.Detailed and comprehensive coverage of various aspects of GaN HEMT large-signal model was of-fered,including large-signal measurement setups,classical formula-tion methods,model classification and non-ideal effects,etc.In order to better serve follow-up researches,this review also explored poten-tial future directions for the development of GaN HEMT large-signal modeling.

Interaction between the atmospheric boundary layer and a standalone wind turbine in Gansu—Part II： Numerical analysis

To analyze the interaction between wind turbines and the atmospheric boundary layer, we integrated a large-eddy simulation with an actuator line model and examined the characteristics of wind-turbine loads and wakes with reference to a corresponding experiment in Gansu. In the simulation, we set the wind turbine to have a rotor diameter of 14.8 m and a tower height of 15.4 m in the center of an atmospheric boundary layer with a 10.6° yaw angle. The results reveal an obviously skewed wake structure behind the rotor due to the thrust component normal to the flow direction. The power spectra of the inflow fluctuation velocity exhibit a region of-5/3 slope, which confirms the ability of large-eddy simulations to reproduce the energy cascade from larger to smaller scales. We found there to be more energy in the power spectrum of the axial velocity, which shows that coherent turbulence structures have more energy in the horizontal direction. By the conjoint analysis of atmospheric turbulence and windturbine loads, we found that when the inflow wind direction changes rapidly, the turbulence kinetic energy and coherent turbulence kinetic energy in the atmospheric turbulence increase, which in turn causes fluctuations in the wind turbine load.Furthermore, anisotropic atmospheric turbulence causes an asymmetric load cycle, which imposes a strike by the turbine blade on the shaft, thereby increasing the fatigue load on the shaft. Our main conclusion is that the atmospheric boundary layer has a strong effect on the evolution of the wake and the structural response of the turbine.

Interaction between the atmospheric boundary layer and a standalone wind turbine in Gansu—Part I： Field measurement

Experiments and numerical simulations of the wake field behind a horizontal-axis wind turbine are carried out to investigate the interaction between the atmospheric boundary layer and a stand-alone wind turbine. The tested wind turbine（33 k W） has a rotor diameter of 14.8 m and hub height of 15.4 m. An anti-icing digital Sonic wind meter, an atmospheric pressure sensor, and a temperature and humidity sensor are installed in the upstream wind measurement mast. Wake velocity is measured by three US CSAT3 ultrasonic anemometers. To reflect the characteristics of the whole flow field, numerical simulations are performed through large eddy simulation（LES） and with the actuator line model. The experimental results show that the axial velocity deficit rate ranges from 32.18% to 63.22% at the three measuring points. Meanwhile, the time-frequency characteristics of the axial velocities at the left and right measuring points are different. Moreover, the average axial and lateral velocity deficit of the right measuring point is greater than that of the left measuring point. The turbulent kinetic energy（TKE） at the middle and right measuring points exhibit a periodic variation, and the vortex sheet-pass frequency is mostly similar to the rotational frequency of the rotor. However, this feature is not obvious for the left measuring point. Meanwhile, the power spectra of the vertical velocity fluctuation show the slope of-1, and those of lateral and axial velocity fluctuations show slopes of-1 and-5/3, respectively.However, the inertial subranges of axial velocity fluctuation at the left, middle, and right measuring points occur at 4, 7, and7 Hz, respectively. The above conclusion fully illustrates the asymmetry of the left and right measuring points. The experimental data and numerical simulation results collectively indicate that the wake is deflected to the right under the influence of lateral force. Therefore, wake asymmetry can be mainly attributed to the lateral force exerted by the wind turbine on the fluid.

Special issue: Low-carbon management

This special issue of Frontiers of Engineering Management (FEM) targets at how to devise the strategies for lowcarbon management. Climate change is one of the greatest threats that mankind is facing today. Global cooperation has been undertaken to address climate change and establish the goal of controlling the surface temperature rise by no more than 2℃ or even 1.5 ℃ by the end of 2100. This has not only caused the establishment and development of the new international governance system, but also greatly promoted the revolutionary change of world's energy system toward low-carbon developme nt. Low-carb on management thus becomes an emergi ng megatrend.

Sulige Gas Field super project

Owner:Petro China Changqing Oilfield Company Design unit:Petro China Changqing Oilfield Company Construction unit:Petro China Changqing Oilfield Company,CNPC Chuanqing Drilling Engineering Company Limited,CNPC Greatwall Drilling Company。