3D Modeling and Performance Optimization of Vertical Axis Wind Turbine Using Computational Fluid Dynamics

凯尔索能源有限公司制造垂直轴风力涡轮机(VAWT)。该公司旨在通过设计和制造符合成本效益和耐用的风力涡轮机来减少温室气体排放的影响，以满足手机发射塔、与世隔绝的社区和研究中心、农业农场、小屋、牧场和许多其他独特应用的电力需求。凯尔索能源已经在加拿大大草原地区运营了三年，目前正在建设能力，以满足加拿大和海外更大客户群的需求。凯尔索能源公司正在重新设计和开发其5千瓦VAWT的3D模型。这一努力将帮助该公司克服重大制造问题，包括产品质量不一致、制造时间较长以及由于缺乏标准化设计蓝图而进行的繁琐设计修改。除了最初的设计挑战外，VAWT的运行效率还需要性能优化，而通过现场测试和试错方法很难实现这一点。对于风力涡轮机，设计和性能优化成为一个流体流动问题，通常很难在实验室环境中使用小规模原型进行复制。因此，凯尔索能源正在与红河学院航空航天与制造技术接入中心(TACAM)团队合作进行3D建模，并分析和研究各种材料-设计-流体流动参数，以使用计算流体动力学(CFD)优化VAWT的性能。RRC的TACAM团队将利用学院在CFD、过程模拟和3D CAD建模方面的现有能力和专业知识来交付该项目。CFD研究的主要参数将包括风流、叶片角度和结构、转子尺寸、翼型结构等，目的是产生能够降低生产成本和提高生产效率的最佳设计参数。凯尔索能源代表着马尼托巴省不断发展的新兴中小型企业(SME)之一，高度重视研发活动。该公司有能力实施并进一步推动该项目的成果。学院团队期待着获得更多的知识(针对该项目的学生/实习生、研究人员和教职员工)，这些知识将在未来的研究活动中有用。

Kelso Energy Limited manufactures vertical axis wind turbines (VAWT). The company aims at reducing the effects of greenhouse emission by designing and manufacturing cost-effective and durable wind turbines that meet the electricity demands of cellphone towers, isolated communities and research centres, agricultural farms, cottages, ranches, and many other unique applications. Kelso Energy has been operating in the Prairie region of Canada for three years and is currently building capacity for meeting the demands of a larger customer base in Canada and abroad. Kelso Energy is redesigning and developing 3D models of their 5kW VAWT. This effort will help the company to overcome significant fabrication problems including inconsistent product quality, longer fabrication times and laborious design modifications due to lack of standardized design blueprint. In addition to initial design challenges, operational efficiency of the VAWT requires performance optimization which becomes difficult to achieve by field testing and trial-by-error approaches. For wind turbines, design and performance optimization becomes a fluid flow problem, which is usually difficult to replicate using small scale prototypes in laboratory environments. Therefore Kelso Energy is partnering with Red River College's Technology Access Centre for Aerospace and Manufacturing (TACAM) team on the 3D modeling and to analyze and study various materials-design-fluid flow parameters for performance optimization of the VAWT using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). RRC's TACAM team will capitalize on the College's existing capabilities and expertise in CFD, process simulation and 3D CAD modeling to deliver this project. The major parameters of CFD study will include the wind flow, blade angles and structure, rotor dimensions, airfoil configuration, and others, with the aim of producing optimum design parameters that will lower production cost and increase product efficiency. Kelso Energy represents one of the progressive emerging Small-Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in Manitoba with high-priority commitment to research and development activities. The company has the capacity to implement and further advance the results of this project. The College team is looking forward to gaining additional knowledge (for students/interns on the project, research personnel and faculty) that will be useful in future research engagements.