Computational Fluid Dynamics study of a vertical axis tidal turbine using a Fluid Structure Interaction approach

Abstract

The present project aims to plunge into the multiphysics nature of a vertical axis tidal turbine. To that purpose, a Fluid-Structure Interaction analysis has been undertaken. The coupling between the fluid and the structural domain has been done in a 1-way approach, where the converged fluid loadings are applied to the structural model for further analysis. In our case, it was done in order to compute the blades' deformation, which is not considered to disrupt the flow field. Using the Sliding Mesh technique, transient CFD simulations have been done in order to predict the flow field around the turbine for each scenario. Once a steady state solution had been achieved, it was used as a boundary condition for the structural domain with the purpose of computing the blades' deformation due to this pressure distribution for different materials.

El present projecte t´e com a objectiu endinsar-se a la naturalesa multif´ısica d’una turbina mareomotriu d’eix vertical. Per a aconseguir-ho, s’ha realitzat un an`alisi d’interacci´o Fluid-Estructura (FSI). L’acoblament entre el domini fluid i estructural s’ha dut a terme mitjanc¸ant una aproximaci´o 1-way, on les c`arregues convergides provinents del domini fluid s´on aplicades al model estructural per an`alisis posteriors. En el nostre cas, s’han realitzat a fi de calcular la deformaci´o de les pales, la qual es considera que no pertorba el camp de flux. Usant la t`ecnica anomenada Sliding Mesh, s’han dut a terme simulacions transit`ories a fi de predir el flux al voltant de la turbina per a cada escenari. Un cop s’aconsegu´ı una soluci´o estacion`aria, aquestes simulacions s’usaren com a condicions de contorn al domini estructural, amb l’objectiu de calcular finalment la deformaci´o de les pales degut a aquesta distribuci´o de pressions per a diferents materials.