Vortex Panel Method for Wind Turbine

fredi · January 25, 2023, 06:03

Hi all,
Is it possible to use vortex panel method to calculate the torque and power of a multiblade wind turbine or fan and etc?

I know it is used in savonius rotor calculation and lift of the airfoils but I am not sure about wind turbines and others.

I also have a vague understanding of free vortices vs bound vortices and if possible I would like to have some clarification please.

Thanks for your attention.

fredi · January 30, 2023, 02:26

May I please ask where I can post this question to get more response? Hydrodynamics or physics forums or where?

sbaffini · January 30, 2023, 06:58

For what concerns CFD online, this certainly is the right forum (as opposed to, say, the Fluent forum still on CFD online). I don't know of other online communities where you could ask.

Altough you may not have given sufficient time for an answer to emerge, the problem with your question is that it is very specific.

I have some expertise with vortex panel methods, but only for classical aerodynamic flows. Besides this, panel methods are much less frequently used today than other methods. So, all in all, you are onto something that is relatively niche with respect to other topics. Also, it seems like a practitioner issue more than a fundamental one and, in my experience, practitioners are less inclined to contribute here.

For sure panel methods have been (and are) used in a variety of unsteady rotor flows, even helicopters. To what extent they are effective is probably debatable and you need an expert with a specific experience here. I am pretty sure that they have been used effctively for HAWT. I have instead serious doubts they might be of any usefulnees for other "less aerodynamic" arrangements.

January 25, 2023, 06:03	Vortex Panel Method for Wind Turbine	#1
fredi New Member Please select a state (mandatory for US) Join Date: Jul 2021 Posts: 13 Rep Power: 4	Hi all, Is it possible to use vortex panel method to calculate the torque and power of a multiblade wind turbine or fan and etc? I know it is used in savonius rotor calculation and lift of the airfoils but I am not sure about wind turbines and others. I also have a vague understanding of free vortices vs bound vortices and if possible I would like to have some clarification please. Thanks for your attention.

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January 30, 2023, 02:26		#2
fredi New Member Please select a state (mandatory for US) Join Date: Jul 2021 Posts: 13 Rep Power: 4	May I please ask where I can post this question to get more response? Hydrodynamics or physics forums or where?

January 30, 2023, 06:58		#3
sbaffini Senior Member Paolo Lampitella Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Italy Posts: 2,160 Blog Entries: 29 Rep Power: 39	For what concerns CFD online, this certainly is the right forum (as opposed to, say, the Fluent forum still on CFD online). I don't know of other online communities where you could ask. Altough you may not have given sufficient time for an answer to emerge, the problem with your question is that it is very specific. I have some expertise with vortex panel methods, but only for classical aerodynamic flows. Besides this, panel methods are much less frequently used today than other methods. So, all in all, you are onto something that is relatively niche with respect to other topics. Also, it seems like a practitioner issue more than a fundamental one and, in my experience, practitioners are less inclined to contribute here. For sure panel methods have been (and are) used in a variety of unsteady rotor flows, even helicopters. To what extent they are effective is probably debatable and you need an expert with a specific experience here. I am pretty sure that they have been used effctively for HAWT. I have instead serious doubts they might be of any usefulnees for other "less aerodynamic" arrangements.