Cycle-to-cycle variations in cross-flow turbine performance and flow fields

Abstract

Cross-flow turbine performance and flow fields exhibit cycle-to-cycle variations, though this is often implicitly neglected through time- and phase-averaging. This variability could potentially arise from a variety of mechanisms -- inflow fluctuations, the stochastic nature of dynamic stall, and cycle-to-cycle hysteresis -- each of which have different implications for our understanding of cross-flow turbine dynamics. In this work, the extent and sources of cycle-to-cycle variability for both the flow fields and performance are explored experimentally under two, contrasting operational conditions. Flow fields, obtained through two-dimensional planar particle image velocimetry inside the turbine swept area, are examined in concert with simultaneously measured performance. Correlations between flow-field and performance variability are established by an unsupervised hierarchical flow-field clustering pipeline. This features a principal component analysis (PCA) pre-processor that allows for clustering based on all the dynamics present in the high-dimensional flow-field data in an interpretable, low-dimensional subspace that is weighted by contribution to overall velocity variance. We find that the flow-field clusters and their associated performance are correlated primarily with inflow fluctuations, despite relatively low turbulence intensity, that drive variations in the timing of the dynamic stall process. Further, we find no evidence of substantial cycle-to-cycle hysteresis. Clustering reveals persistent correlations between performance and flow-field variability during the upstream portion of the turbine rotation. The approach employed here provides a more comprehensive picture of cross-flow turbine flow fields and performance than aggregate, statistical representations.

arXiv commentPUBLISHED at Experiments in Fluids https://doi.org/10.1007/s00348-023-03725-5

References in corpus (5)

• Cluster-based reduced-order modelling of a mixing layer
• The dynamic stall dilemma for vertical-axis wind turbines
• Cluster-based feedback control of turbulent post-stall separated flows
• Effect of aspect ratio on cross-flow turbine performance
• Simulations of Intracycle Angular Velocity Control for a Cross-Flow Turbine

Cited by in corpus (4)

• An experimental evaluation of the interplay between geometry and scale on cross-flow turbine performance
• Influence of the downstream blade sweep on cross-flow turbine performance
• Experimental identification of blade-level forces, torque, and pitching moment for cross-flow turbines
• Performance characteristics and bluff-body modeling of high-blockage cross-flow turbine arrays with varying rotor geometry