Abstract Purpose The aim of this paper is to assess the ability of a stress-blended eddy simulation (SBES) turbulence model to predict the performance of a three-straight-bladed vertical axis wind turbine (VAWT). The grid sensitivity study is conducted to evaluate the simulation accuracy. Design/methodology/approach The unsteady Reynolds-averaged Navier–Stokes equations are solved using the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) technique. Two types of grid topology around the blades, namely, O-grid (OG) and C-grid (CG) types, are considered for grid sensitivity studies. Findings With regard to the power coefficient (Cp), simulation results have shown significant improvements of predictions using compared to other turbulence models such as the k-e model. The Cp distributions predicted by applying the CG mesh are in good agreement with the experimental data than that by the OG mesh. Research limitations/implications The current study provides some new insights of the use of SBES turbulence model in VAWT CFD simulations. Practical implications The SBES turbulence model can significantly improve the numerical accuracy on predicting the VAWT performance at a lower tip speed ratio (TSR), which other turbulence models cannot achieve. Furthermore, it has less computational demand for the finer grid resolution used in the RANS-Large Eddy Simulation (LES) “transition” zone compared to other hybrid RANS-LES models. Originality/value To authors’ knowledge, this is the first attempt to apply SBES turbulence model to predict VAWT performance resulting for accurate CFD results. The better prediction can increase the credibility of computational evaluation of a new or an improved configuration of VAWT.

中文翻译：

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用于准确预测垂直轴风力机性能的应力混合涡模拟模型评估

摘要 目的本文的目的是评估应力混合涡流模拟（SBES）湍流模型预测三直叶片垂直轴风力涡轮机（VAWT）性能的能力。进行网格敏感性研究以评估模拟精度。设计/方法/途径 使用计算流体动力学 (CFD) 技术求解非定常雷诺平均 Navier-Stokes 方程。围绕叶片的两种类型的网格拓扑，即 O 型网格 (OG) 和 C 型网格 (CG) 类型，被考虑用于网格敏感性研究。结果 关于功率系数 (Cp)，仿真结果表明，与 ke 模型等其他湍流模型相比，使用的预测有显着改进。与OG 网格相比，应用CG 网格预测的Cp 分布与实验数据更加吻合。研究局限性/影响 当前的研究提供了一些关于在 VAWT CFD 模拟中使用 SBES 湍流模型的新见解。实际意义 SBES 湍流模型可以显着提高在较低叶尖速比 (TSR) 下预测 VAWT 性能的数值精度，这是其他湍流模型无法实现的。此外，与其他混合 RANS-LES 模型相比，它对 RANS-大涡模拟（LES）“过渡”区域中使用的更精细网格分辨率的计算需求更少。原创性/价值 据作者所知，这是第一次尝试应用 SBES 湍流模型来预测 VAWT 性能，从而获得准确的 CFD 结果。