Study of the Influence of Rotor Shape on the Aerodynamic Characteristics of Flettner Rotor

Abstract

The research and application of sail-assisted ships are of great significance for promoting the green development of shipping industry. The optimization design of sails is crucial for improving the efficiency of wind energy utilization. This study investigates the effect of rotor shape on the aerodynamic characteristics of the Flettner rotor by using the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) method. New geometric model of the multi-circular arc Flettner rotor using SolidWorks software, followed by meshing and setting boundary conditions, is established. On this basis, the aerodynamic characteristics of different shapes of Flettner rotor are analyzed. The study results show that the lift and drag coefficients increase as the velocity ratio increases, and the closer the rotor shape is to a circle at a certain velocity ratio, the larger the lift coefficient is. In addition, the lift coefficient of the multi-arc Flettner rotor is close to that of the circular Flettner rotor at high wind speeds. The study can provide some guidance for improving the aerodynamic performance of the Flettner rotor.