Bio-Inspired Wind Energy Harvester

2012 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Talarico ◽  
Kevin Hynes
Keyword(s):  
Energy Harvester ◽  
Leading Edge ◽  
Reynolds Numbers ◽  
Flapping Wing ◽  
Oncoming Flow ◽  
Preliminary Testing ◽  
Reduced Frequency ◽  
Effective Operation ◽  
Extraction Device ◽  
Motion Parameters

Engineers and designers often mimic mechanisms found in nature to accomplish a specific task. This concept was applied to wind power generation to simplify and reduce cost of the HAWT design. The advantage of the flapping wing design lies in the additional power generated by leading edge vortices. It has previously been demonstrated by others that a flapping wing section undergoing simultaneous, coordinated heaving and pitching is capable of extracting energy from an oncoming flow using the CFD code FLUENT. The encouraging results suggest that efficiencies as high as 36.3% are achievable with such a system with the strongest influence on efficiency being reduced heaving amplitude, H/c, pitching amplitude, θ, and reduced frequency, f*. The suggested values of these motion parameters for optimal performance was found to be H/c≈1, θ≈73°, and f*≈0.15. Hence, an adjustable flapping wing energy extraction device was designed in accordance with these parameters. Preliminary testing has demonstrated the effective operation of the device over a range of Reynolds numbers in a wind tunnel.

The leading-edge vortex and aerodynamics of insect-based flapping-wing micro air vehicles

2009 ◽  
Vol 113 (1142) ◽  
pp. 253-262 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. C. Wilkins ◽  
K. Knowles
Keyword(s):  
Entire Range ◽  
Angle Of Attack ◽  
Leading Edge ◽  
Micro Air Vehicles ◽  
Reynolds Numbers ◽  
Flapping Wing ◽  
Computational Method ◽  
Leading Edge Vortex ◽  
Air Vehicle ◽  
Edge Vortex

AbstractThe aerodynamics of insect-like flapping are dominated by the production of a large, stable, and lift-enhancing leading-edge vortex (LEV) above the wing. In this paper the phenomenology behind the LEV is explored, the reasons for its stability are investigated, and the effects on the LEV of changing Reynolds number or angle-of-attack are studied. A predominantly-computational method has been used, validated against both existing and new experimental data. It is concluded that the LEV is stable over the entire range of Reynolds numbers investigated here and that changes in angle-of-attack do not affect the LEV’s stability. The primary motivation of the current work is to ascertain whether insect-like flapping can be successfully ‘scaled up’ to produce a flapping-wing micro air vehicle (FMAV) and the results presented here suggest that this should be the case.

Active Control of Flow Separation in a Radial Blower

2010 ◽  
Vol 132 (5) ◽  
Author(s):  
David Greenblatt ◽  
Guy Arzuan
Keyword(s):  
Pressure Rise ◽  
Leading Edge ◽  
Reynolds Numbers ◽  
Input Power ◽  
Maximum Pressure ◽  
Proof Of Concept ◽  
Periodic Excitation ◽  
Separated Shear Layer ◽  
Reduced Frequency ◽  
Blower Performance

An experimental investigation was undertaken as a proof-of-concept study for active separation control in a radial blower. Acoustic perturbations were introduced into the impeller housing of a small radial blower with fully stalled blades. Increases in the plenum pressure of 35% were achieved and, based on tuft-based flow visualization, it was concluded that the pressure increases were brought about due to excitation and deflection of the leading-edge separated shear layer. Within the parameter range considered here, the optimum dimensionless control frequencies were found to be O(0.5), irrespective of the blade orientation or number of blades. Moreover, the maximum pressure rise was achieved with an investment of only 2% of the fan input power. Backward bladed impeller blades exhibited slightly larger increases in pressure coefficients when compared with their forward bladed counterparts. The dependence of blower performance on reduced frequency was remarkably similar to that seen on flat plate airfoils at similar Reynolds numbers under periodic excitation.

Discrete Vortex Modeling of a Flapping Foil With Activated Leading Edge Motion

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael W. Prier ◽  
James A. Liburdy
Keyword(s):  
Energy Harvesting ◽  
Leading Edge ◽  
Reynolds Numbers ◽  
Time Resolved ◽  
Discrete Vortex ◽  
Suction Parameter ◽  
Flapping Foil ◽  
Vortex Model ◽  
Reduced Frequency ◽  
Effective Angle

Abstract Energy harvesting performance for a flapping foil device is evaluated to determine how activated leading edge motion affects the aerodynamic forces and the cycle power generated. Results are obtained for a thin flat foil that pitches about the mid-chord and operates in the reduced frequency range of k = fc/U of 0.06–0.10 and Reynolds numbers of 20,000 and 30,000 with a pitching amplitude of 70° and heaving amplitude of h0 = 0.5c. Time resolved data are presented based on direct force measurements and are used to determine overall cycle efficiency and coefficient of power. These results are compared against a panel-based discrete vortex model to predict power production. The model incorporates a leading edge suction parameter predictor for vortex shedding and empirical adjustments to circulatory forces. It is found that the leading edge motions that reduce the effective angle of attack early in a flapping stroke generate larger forces later in the stroke. Consequently, the energy harvesting efficiencies and power coefficients are increased since the generated aerodynamic loads are better synchronized with the foil motion. The efficiency gains are reduced with increasing reduced frequencies.

Investigation on the effect of leading edge tubercles of sweptback wing at low reynolds number

2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (6) ◽  
pp. 621
Author(s):  
Veerapathiran Thangaraj Gopinathan ◽  
John Bruce Ralphin Rose ◽  
Mohanram Surya
Keyword(s):  
Leading Edge ◽  
Reynolds Numbers ◽  
Sweep Angle ◽  
Laminar Separation ◽  
Low Reynolds Numbers ◽  
Flow Energy ◽  
Airplane Wing ◽  
Low Reynolds ◽  
Naca 0015 ◽  
Wing Performance

Aerodynamic efficiency of an airplane wing can be improved either by increasing its lift generation tendency or by reducing the drag. Recently, Bio-inspired designs have been received greater attention for the geometric modifications of airplane wings. One of the bio-inspired designs contains sinusoidal Humpback Whale (HW) tubercles, i.e., protuberances exist at the wing leading edge (LE). The tubercles have excellent flow control characteristics at low Reynolds numbers. The present work describes about the effect of tubercles on swept back wing performance at various Angle of Attack (AoA). NACA 0015 and NACA 4415 airfoils are used for swept back wing design with sweep angle about 30°. The modified wings (HUMP 0015 A, HUMP 0015 B, HUMP 4415 A, HUMP 4415 B) are designed with two amplitude to wavelength ratios (η) of 0.1 & 0.24 for the performance analysis. It is a novel effort to analyze the tubercle vortices along the span that induce additional flow energy especially, behind the tubercles peak and trough region. Subsequently, Co-efficient of Lift (CL), Co-efficient of Drag (CD) and boundary layer pressure gradients also predicted for modified and baseline (smooth LE) models in the pre & post-stall regimes. It was observed that the tubercles increase the performance of swept back wings by the enhanced CL/CD ratio in the pre-stall AoA region. Interestingly, the flow separation region behind the centerline of tubercles and formation of Laminar Separation Bubbles (LSB) were asymmetric because of the sweep.

Energy extraction performance of a flapping wing with active elastic airbag deformation at the leading edge

2021 ◽  
Vol 228 ◽  
pp. 108901
Author(s):  
Xiao-Dong Bai ◽  
Ji-Sheng Zhang ◽  
Jin-Hai Zheng ◽  
Yong Wang
Keyword(s):  
Leading Edge ◽  
Flapping Wing ◽  
Energy Extraction ◽  
Extraction Performance

Experimental investigations of flow over NACA airfoils 0021 and 4412 of wind turbine blades with and without Tubercles

2021 ◽  
pp. 0309524X2110071
Author(s):  
Usman Butt ◽  
Shafqat Hussain ◽  
Stephan Schacht ◽  
Uwe Ritschel
Keyword(s):  
Wind Tunnel ◽  
Drag Coefficient ◽  
Wind Turbine ◽  
Critical Region ◽  
Lift Coefficient ◽  
Turbine Blades ◽  
Leading Edge ◽  
Reynolds Numbers ◽  
Experimental Investigations ◽  
Wind Turbine Blades

Experimental investigations of wind turbine blades having NACA airfoils 0021 and 4412 with and without tubercles on the leading edge have been performed in a wind tunnel. It was found that the lift coefficient of the airfoil 0021 with tubercles was higher at Re = 1.2×105 and 1.69×105 in post critical region (at higher angle of attach) than airfoils without tubercles but this difference relatively diminished at higher Reynolds numbers and beyond indicating that there is no effect on the lift coefficients of airfoils with tubercles at higher Reynolds numbers whereas drag coefficient remains unchanged. It is noted that at Re = 1.69×105, the lift coefficient of airfoil without tubercles drops from 0.96 to 0.42 as the angle of attack increases from 15° to 20° which is about 56% and the corresponding values of lift coefficient for airfoil with tubercles are 0.86 and 0.7 at respective angles with18% drop.

scholarly journals Analysis of the unstable Tollmien–Schlichting mode on bodies with a rounded leading edge using the parabolized stability equation

2009 ◽  
Vol 623 ◽  
pp. 167-185
Author(s):  
M. R. TURNER ◽  
P. W. HAMMERTON
Keyword(s):  
Asymptotic Theory ◽  
Free Stream ◽  
Leading Edge ◽  
Adverse Pressure Gradient ◽  
Reynolds Numbers ◽  
Neutral Stability ◽  
S Wave ◽  
Stability Equation ◽  
Stability Point ◽  
Tollmien Schlichting

The interaction between free-stream disturbances and the boundary layer on a body with a rounded leading edge is considered in this paper. A method which incorporates calculations using the parabolized stability equation in the Orr–Sommerfeld region, along with an upstream boundary condition derived from asymptotic theory in the vicinity of the leading edge, is generalized to bodies with an inviscid slip velocity which tends to a constant far downstream. We present results for the position of the lower branch neutral stability point and the magnitude of the unstable Tollmien–Schlichting (T-S) mode at this point for both a parabolic body and the Rankine body. For the Rankine body, which has an adverse pressure gradient along its surface far from the nose, we find a double maximum in the T-S wave amplitude for sufficiently large Reynolds numbers.

scholarly journals Flow past a square-section cylinder with a wavy stagnation face

2001 ◽  
Vol 426 ◽  
pp. 263-295 ◽  
Author(s):  
RUPAD M. DAREKAR ◽  
SPENCER J. SHERWIN
Keyword(s):  
Reynolds Number ◽  
Cross Flow ◽  
Leading Edge ◽  
Reynolds Numbers ◽  
Physical Structure ◽  
Near Wake ◽  
Hairpin Vortices ◽  
Independent State ◽  
Flow Past ◽  
Edge Surface

Numerical investigations have been performed for the flow past square-section cylinders with a spanwise geometric deformation leading to a stagnation face with a sinusoidal waviness. The computations were performed using a spectral/hp element solver over a range of Reynolds numbers from 10 to 150.Starting from fully developed shedding past a straight cylinder at a Reynolds number of 100, a sufficiently high waviness is impulsively introduced resulting in the stabilization of the near wake to a time-independent state. It is shown that the spanwise waviness sets up a cross-flow within the growing boundary layer on the leading-edge surface thereby generating streamwise and vertical components of vorticity. These additional components of vorticity appear in regions close to the inflection points of the wavy stagnation face where the spanwise vorticity is weakened. This redistribution of vorticity leads to the breakdown of the unsteady and staggered Kármán vortex wake into a steady and symmetric near-wake structure. The steady nature of the near wake is associated with a reduction in total drag of about 16% at a Reynolds number of 100 compared with the straight, non-wavy cylinder.Further increases in the amplitude of the waviness lead to the emergence of hairpin vortices from the near-wake region. This wake topology has similarities to the wake of a sphere at low Reynolds numbers. The physical structure of the wake due to the variation of the amplitude of the waviness is identified with five distinct regimes. Furthermore, the introduction of a waviness at a wavelength close to the mode A wavelength and the primary wavelength of the straight square-section cylinder leads to the suppression of the Kármán street at a minimal waviness amplitude.

Heat Transfer and Flowfield Measurements in the Leading Edge Region of a Stator Vane Endwall

1999 ◽  
Vol 121 (3) ◽  
pp. 558-568 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. B. Kang ◽  
A. Kohli ◽  
K. A. Thole
Keyword(s):  
Heat Transfer ◽  
Reynolds Number ◽  
Leading Edge ◽  
Reynolds Numbers ◽  
Secondary Flows ◽  
Edge Region ◽  
Leading Edge Vortex ◽  
Stator Vane ◽  
Edge Vortex ◽  
The Mean

The leading edge region of a first-stage stator vane experiences high heat transfer rates, especially near the endwall, making it very important to get a better understanding of the formation of the leading edge vortex. In order to improve numerical predictions of the complex endwall flow, benchmark quality experimental data are required. To this purpose, this study documents the endwall heat transfer and static pressure coefficient distribution of a modern stator vane for two different exit Reynolds numbers (Reex = 6 × 105 and 1.2 × 106). In addition, laser-Doppler velocimeter measurements of all three components of the mean and fluctuating velocities are presented for a plane in the leading edge region. Results indicate that the endwall heat transfer, pressure distribution, and flowfield characteristics change with Reynolds number. The endwall pressure distributions show that lower pressure coefficients occur at higher Reynolds numbers due to secondary flows. The stronger secondary flows cause enhanced heat transfer near the trailing edge of the vane at the higher Reynolds number. On the other hand, the mean velocity, turbulent kinetic energy, and vorticity results indicate that leading edge vortex is stronger and more turbulent at the lower Reynolds number. The Reynolds number also has an effect on the location of the separation point, which moves closer to the stator vane at lower Reynolds numbers.

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