Environmental Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Now, the Bernoulli equation may be used between the free-stream and the upwind side
of the turbine and again between the downwind side of the turbine and the far wake, so that
Equation (5-10) becomes
T = 0.5r A U 2 - V 1
( )
(5-11)
Combining Equations (5-9) and (5-11) we obtain
V = 0.5( U + V 1 )
(5-12)
Thus, the wind velocity at the disk is the average of the free-stream and far-wake velocities,
so the total velocity change from free-stream to far-wake is twice the change from free-
stream to the disk. Let
U - V = aU
(5-13a)
U - V 1 = 2 aU
Then
(5-13b)
The term a is known as the axial induction factor (or the retardation factor ) and is a
measure of the influence of the turbine on the wind. Because the minimum far-wake velocity
is zero, the maximum value of the axial induction factor is 0.5. The thrust is not of immedi-
ate importance, but the power is. From the first law of thermodynamics , assuming isothermal
flow and ambient pressure in the far wake, power is equal to
(
P = 0.5r A U 2 - V 1
)
V = 0.5r AV ( U + V 1 ) ( U - V 1 )
(5-14)
Combining Equations (5-13) and (5-14), the power coefficient for the actuator disk, accord-
ing to the Rankine-Froude theory, is
P
0.5r U 3 A = 4 a (1 - a ) 2
(5-15a)
C P =
which has a maximum when a = 1/3 . Thus
)
C P , max = 16/27 = 0.593
(
(5-15b)
When examining Equation (5-15a), note that the denominator is the kinetic energy of the
free-stream wind contained in a streamtube with an area equal to the disk area. However,
Equation (5-15b) does not represent maximum efficiency (power output/power input), since
the mass flow rate through the disk is not r AU but r AV . Instead,
P
0.5r U 2 VA = 4 a (1 - a )
(5-16)
h d =
where
h d = actuator disk efficiency.
The maximum efficiency is 100 percent at a = 0.5 , which yields a power coefficient of 0.5.
The disk efficiency is 88.8 percent at the maximum power coefficient of 0.593.
Search WWH ::




Custom Search