CONICET | Buscador de Institutos y Recursos Humanos

Based on the increasing interest in urban environmental technologies the study of small scale vertical axis wind turbines (VAWTs) presents motivating challenges. In this paper we present the characteristics and potentials of an open jet wind tunnel built in the laboratories of the ECoMMFiT 1 research group in Tarragona (Spain). The wind tunnel has an open test section of 1.5 x 1.5 m2 and it can be operated with exit velocities from 3 ± 0.4 m/s to 17 ± 0.1 m/s. The characterization of the flow in the test section has been carried out with calibrated pitot tubes, cup anemometers and hot wire anemometry. Measurements in the range of available exit velocities show that, the cross section with contant velocity and turbulence intensities has an area of 0.8 x 0.8 m2 and a streamwise dimension of 2 m from the exit of the tunnel. In this region the maximum turbulence intensity is 4%. The size of the test section with high flow quality (i.e. uniform velocity and low turbulence intensity) indicates that the wind tunnel can be used to test small-scale models of wind turbines and to determine their power curve. The laboratory will be equipped with smoke flow visualization instruments and with equipment required to perform flow velocity measurements using the Particle Image Velocimetry technique. The flow visualization and measurement of the flow in the internal and external wake of a vertical axis wind turbine is crucial to understand and analyse the effect of changes in the performance of the turbine produced by changes in the geometry or operating conditions of the turbine and, essential to successfully optimize its efficiency. Currently, we are beginning with analysis on a small-scale model of vertical axis wind turbine.

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