Flow Physics Analysis of a Vertical Axis Wind Turbine Using FloEFD

In this research work the aerodynamic performance of two novel vertical axis wind turbine was numerically investigated using Siemens FloEFD code. The STS-VAWT configuration performance is compared with the combined helical-STS-VAWT. The K-ε turbulence model was selected to establish the analysis. The same airfoil (NACA0015) was employed in the design of the two wind turbine blades. The rotational region grid was refined comparing to the grid of the static region which was designed specially to minimize the effects of blockage. The obtained contours, flow trajectories , iso-surfaces of the velocity magnitude and pressure plots around the VAWT s showed a high turbulence flow inside the rotation region and the wake region of the combined configuration helical-STS-VAWT comparing to the conventional STS-VAWT.