An extension of a strong viscous–inviscid coupling method for modeling the effects of vortex generators

Abstract

The aim of this work is to provide insights into the advantages and the limitations of the extension of a strong viscous–inviscid interactive code for modeling the effects of vortex generators, with focus on the calibration and validation for wind turbine airfoils. The proposed methodology relies on the approach proposed by other authors in the past and introduces an alternative formulation for the lag dissipation within the integral boundary-layer equations whose effects on the numerical prediction are evaluated. Besides the verification of the aeronautical test cases, particular attention is devoted to the validation of the results for several airfoils commonly used in wind turbine design. A blind test for airfoils from an industrial test case is conducted as well. Results show that the maximum lift coefficient can be well predicted by the present implementation, whereas the angle of maximum lift is a little higher than in wind tunnel measurements. Apart from that, the drag coefficients of airfoils with vortex generators cannot be predicted by the current implementation, but it is expected that the maximum lift and the stall angle of attack are more important in the design phase, since they determine power, loads, and noise.