Experimental investigation of the flow characteristics within a vortex tube with different configurations

The energy separation in a vortex tube is a combined result of different factors and its explanation remains debatable. As a classical fluid mechanics phenomenon, understanding of the complex helical flow mechanism within a vortex tube is a necessary foundation. The small scale of an industrial vortex tube and the extremely complex flow conditions are the two main challenges in obtaining the internal flow properties. This paper reports the results of an experimental investigation on the flow behaviour within a confined cylindrical system having different configurations corresponding to the actual flow field in a vortex tube at different conditions. Transparent devices were used to enable flow visualisation and Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) measurement. The results of the flow visualisation and PIV experiments show that a precessing vortex core is significant only in a specific range of swirling strength. A good agreement between the observed flow characteristics and previously published results was observed.Yunpeng Xue, Jonathan R.Binns, Maziar Arjomandi, Hong Ya

Identification of variations of angle of attack and lift coefficient for a large horizontal-axis wind turbine

The current paper investigates the effects of various elements including turbulence, wind shear, yawed inflow, tower shadow, gravity, mass and aerodynamic imbalances on variations of angle of attack and lift coefficient for a large horizontal-axis wind turbine. It will identify the individual and the aggregate effect of elements on variations of mean value and standard deviation of the angle of attack and lift coefficient in order to distinguish the major contributing factors. The results of the current study is of paramount importance in the design of active load control systems for wind turbine

Development of ASTRI high-temperature solar receivers

Three high-temperature solar receiver design concepts are being evaluated as part of the Australian Solar Thermal Research Initiative (ASTRI): a flux-optimised sodium receiver, a falling particle receiver, and an expanding-vortex particle receiver. Preliminary results from performance modelling of each concept are presented. For the falling particle receiver, it is shown how particle size and flow rate have a significant influence on absorptance. For the vortex receiver, methods to reduce particle deposition on the window and increase particle residence time are discussed. For the sodium receiver, the methodology for geometry optimisation is discussed, as well as practical constraints relating to containment materialsThis research was performed as part of the Australian Solar Thermal Research Initiative (ASTRI), a project supported by the Australian Government, through the Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA)

Towards testing of a second-generation bladed receiver

A bladed receiver design concept is presented which offers a >2% increase in overall receiver efficiency after considering spillage, reflection, emission and convection losses, based on an integrated optical-thermal model, for a design where the working fluid is conventional molten salt operating in the standard 290–565°C temperature range. A novel testing methodology is described, using air and water to test the receiver when molten salt facilities are not available. Technoeconomic analysis shows that the receiver could achieve a 4 AUD/MWhe saving in levelised cost of energy, but only if the bladed receiver design can be implemented at no additional cost.The authors gratefully acknowledge the support of the Australian Renewable Energy Agency, 2014/RND010

Effects of wind speed changes on wake instability of a wind turbine in a virtual wind tunnel using large eddy simulation

Large Eddy Simulation (LES) of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) Phase VI wind turbine inside a virtual wind tunnel, with the same test section as that of NASA Ames 24.4. m×36.6. m, was carried out in order to analyze and better understand the wake instability and its breakdown behind the wind turbine. LES was performed using the commercial CFD software, ANSYS FLUENT, based on the dynamic Smagorinsky-Lilly model. The wind turbine was placed at a distance of two rotor diameters from the upstream boundary with a downstream domain of 20 rotor diameters in length. The results of the simulation were compared with the experimental data published by the NREL and a good agreement was found between the two. Furthermore, the average turbulence intensities from the LES were compared with a semi-empirical model and very good agreement was observed, except for the regions of on-going wake instability and vortex breakdown. It was observed that the wake behind the wind turbine consists of a system of intense and stable rotating helical vortices. These vortices persisted for some distance downstream of the wind turbine and finally become unstable producing a sinuous shape. The downstream distance at which wake instability and vortex breakdown occur, was observed to be a function of the upstream wind speed. For example, for an upstream wind speed of 7. m/s, it was observed that the primary vortex structure became unstable at a downstream distance of four rotor diameters and complete breakdown occurred at approximately six rotor diameters. On the other hand, when the upstream wind speed was 15.1. m/s, wake instability occurred at approximately 11 rotor diameters downstream of the wind turbine and complete breakdown was observed at 13 rotor diameters downstream of the wind turbine. Furthermore, it was observed that the turbulence intensity rapidly decreased during the process of wake instability and vortex breakdown; the location of the decrease is a function of the upstream wind speed. It is suggested that the distinction between the near and far wake can be identified as the average location between the start of the wake instability and the end of the process, at complete breakdown. Therefore the average location of this boundary is a function of the upstream wind speed. Hence for upstream wind speeds of 7. m/s, 10. m/s, 13.1. m/s and 15.1. m/s, the boundary between the near and far wake lies at five, seven, ten and twelve rotor diameters downstream respectively. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd.Jang-Oh Mo, Amanullah Choudhry, Maziar Arjomandi, Richard Kelso, Young-Ho Le

A review of static and dynamic heliostat wind loads

Accurate estimation of the static and dynamic wind loads on heliostats based on detailed measurement and characterisation of turbulence is crucial to avoid structural failure and reduce the cost of the structural heliostat components. Wind load predictions for heliostats are not specified in design standards for buildings because of a heliostat's non-standard shape and the variations of wind velocity and turbulence in the lowest 10 m of the atmospheric boundary layer (ABL). This paper reviews the static and dynamic wind loads on heliostats in the most unfavourable operating and stow positions, with a focus on the aerodynamic effects related to the heliostat structural component geometry, turbulence parameters in the ABL and field spacing. An increased resolution of field-scale wind measurements at heliostat field sites is recommended to fully characterise the ABL turbulence, as the high-intensity gusts over shorter durations at heights below 10 m lead to high-amplitude displacements with larger frequencies than observed in standard building structures. Increased understanding and development of aerodynamic wind load predictions for heliostats, based on their critical scaling parameters and local wind conditions, would increase the accuracy of annual field efficiency models through an improved resolution of operating load data and reduce the capital cost of structural components in power tower plants

Resonance Responses of Geometrically Imperfect Functionally Graded Extensible Microbeams

This paper aims at analyzing the size-dependent nonlinear dynamical behavior of a geometrically imperfect microbeam made of a functionally graded (FG) material, taking into account the longitudinal, transverse, and rotational motions. The size-dependent property is modeled by means of the modified couple stress theory, the shear deformation and rotary inertia are modeled using the Timoshenko beam theory, and the graded material property in the beam thickness direction is modeled via the Mori - Tanaka homogenization technique. The kinetic and size-dependent potential energies of the system are developed as functions of the longitudinal, transverse, and rotational motions. On the basis of an energy method, the continuous models of the system motion are obtained. Upon application of a weighted-residual method, the reduced-order model is obtained. A continuation method along with an eigenvalue extraction technique is utilized for the nonlinear and linear analyses, respectively. A special attention is paid on the effects of the material gradient index, the imperfection amplitude, and the length-scale parameter on the system dynamical response