LES and DES of flow and ice accretion on wind turbine blades

Abstract

The aerodynamic effects of ice accretion on wind turbine blades has been studied using numerical methods. The ice accretion process on an aerofoil was simulated using RANS based simulations. The aerodynamic performance of the iced aerofoil was then investigated using several turbulence models, including both LES and DES. Aeroacoustic simulations using the Curle analogy were also performed. The results show that the shape of the ice has a profound influence on the lift and drag of the aerofoil and a small change in the ice shape can have a significant impact on the performance. Also, the choice of turbulence model is found to be important, with the results varying significantly between models. Both the geometry and the choise of tubulence model also have an influence on the noise propagation from the aerofoil.