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aerodynamics analysis

cornwallav8r

New member
Just getting up to speed with Solidworks, and would like to figure out whether this is possible....I want to model a vertical axis wind turbine and analyze its performance in a virtual wind tunnel...is this possible and how is it done?

I understand motion studies, have done that, I sort of understand flow analysis, but how do you combine the 2 and develop an analysis to analyze the stress (power out) of the assembly with varying flow of air? Any help most appreciated.
 
Not sure what version of SW you're using. I've used SW 2006,
CosmosWorks 2006, and now Floworks 2006. Not sure how the SW Simulation
( 2009 ) differs from the 2006 versions, but you would start out using
Floworks to calculate what it can find ( flow rates, rpm, and torque,
then transfer those results to CW to analyze the stress within the
turbine. Don't know if the 2009 Simulation ( more marketing BS ) makes
it any easier between analyses.
 
I've used Floworks to calculate the lift and drag of a horizontal axis wind turbine blade (one single blade at various AOA). Just set up a simulation and insert an equation to output the lift and drag coefficients for the blade then those can be put in any number of equations to calculate whatever you need.
 
couthe said:
I've used Floworks to calculate the lift and drag of a horizontal axis wind turbine blade (one single blade at various AOA). Just set up a simulation and insert an equation to output the lift and drag coefficients for the blade then those can be put in any number of equations to calculate whatever you need. [/QUOTE

That sounds like a good solution...how do you enter those equations though?
I am modeling a vertical axis system, will have to somehow compensate for blade shadow.
 
Cornwall,

well if you look into the cosmos tutorials it will provide an example of how to determine the drag of an external flow around a sphere. It shows you how to go about setting up the equations. I have not dealt with vert. axis turbines so you're on your own there.

cheers
 
Cornwall

I used Floworks for this kind of simulations 3 years ago.
If you have a chance and nead more realistic results I'd recommend to use CFX+Workbench 2 (Ansys 12).
 

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