Research on parametric modeling methods for vortex generators on flat plate

Abstract

Vortex generators (VGs) are increasingly used on wind turbine blades to delay airflow separation. Small-size VGs substantially increase the numerical cost of simulations of large-size wind turbine blades with VGs. A parametric approach is typically used to replace physical VGs with an algorithm in computational fluid dynamics (CFD) research to address this problem. Nevertheless, the accuracy of the parametric approach is determined by the algorithm accuracy for calculating the maximum circulation of the VGs and the methods for modeling the trailing vortex profile. The main objective of this study is to propose a high-accuracy algorithm that describes the coupled responses of neighboring VGs using a series of modeling techniques. Since counter-rotating triangular VGs are typically used in the wind turbine industry, a pair of these devices mounted on a flat plate is investigated using a full-mesh model and a parametric model, considering different incoming velocities, VG incidence angles, and VG spacings. The research results show that the proposed algorithm for max circulation exhibits better agreement with the experimental data than existing algorithms that consider only one VG, and both model types show high consistency in all cases. The results indicate that the proposed parametric approach seems to be more suitable than the single VG algorithms for replacing physical VGs in CFD research of wind turbine blades equipped with VG arrays.