Nice work! I am wondering what software you used to generate the model? Is that SolidWorks? Or does openFOAM have modelling capabilities built in? (Or both?) Thanks for your time :)
@RealSaladsamurai solid works was used to write an STL file which can be read by SnappyHexMesh in OpenFoam. It took a lot of manual tweeking to get it working.
I am currently learning OpenFOAM. The user manual does not give much details on coupling different solvers and mesh motion. Would you please guide me to learning material and tutorials for these tasks ....
@hsafti There is only one version of openfoam that I know of that can rotate meshes and it's a derivative of openfoam by a different group of people. The version is Openfoam-1.5-dev. If you can find and install that version I can probably send you some examples.
Great work! I also watched your video where you made an actual VAWT, that was very interesting too. I am a novice in OpenFoam, but interested in using it with a case like yours (unless it takes forever to finish!). Is there any place where I can look into your model? Is it possible for OpenFoam to let go everything such as rotation of the turbine, deformation of blade, once given wind coming in? Thank you for sharing your work with us !
is the turbine rotating based on your own input at a constant rpm? or are the blades actually being "pushed" by the flow, such that the turbine is free to rotate on its own?
The turbine is spinning at a constant RPM. It is possible to measure the torque on the turbine so that you can calculate power. See my other video "Lenz2 Blade Simulation" for an example of this in a 2d sim.
If you run the turbine at different RPMs and measure the power, you can predict how it will work given the load of an alternator.
I see, so this is an investigation to it's ability to draw power from the wind. Whenever I see these I assume their purpose is to evaluate aerodynamic performance. I'll have to give OpenFOAM a go.
Sorta opposite of what it should be. As I see it, though I am no expert either, it would be better to rotate the mesh that the windmill was not attached to in order to see how efficient it is at harnessing fluid in motion as opposed to how it displaces the fluid. As I said, though, I could very easily be wrong.
Remember that the mesh rotates, but the air doesn't. The turbine does rotate. But there is also a constant movement of air (wind) from left to right through all the mesh. So by rotating the mesh, and measuring the torque, we can calculate power.
I drew it in SolidWorks, then made an stl file, then used SnappyHexMesh to carve it out of the cylinder. I've learned much since this video. I think I need a finer mesh near the wing surface to better simulate the boundary layer. I've been working in 2d lately, but can't seem to get reasonable numbers.
What did you use to mesh it? Also, IMHO it would have been cooler to have displayed your contour plots with nodal values rather than cell centered data. I think you can change that applying a filter in paraFoam. I think its called cell2vertex.
Actually I could have done cell centered data by just clicking on another button on the gui in parafoam.
I made the circular and square mesh with blockMesh. Then I cut the turbine out of it using snappy HexMesh.
I've gone to 2D sims now for speed and I'm using gmsh to make those meshes. I found that the regular pattern from blockMesh caused some problems. I prefer some randomness in the mesh.
I guess this is stuff that only computer simulation can see and predict since air is clear and things are happening fast for people. It's possible though that some smoke streams in the air and camera speeds can see some things, and even possibly in some water current.
Hi sjh7132,
It is a very interesting work! Do you have any tutorial which can be helpful to understand the details of what you did?
Thanks a lot!
navvabk 2 months ago
Nice work! I am wondering what software you used to generate the model? Is that SolidWorks? Or does openFOAM have modelling capabilities built in? (Or both?) Thanks for your time :)
RealSaladsamurai 4 months ago
@RealSaladsamurai solid works was used to write an STL file which can be read by SnappyHexMesh in OpenFoam. It took a lot of manual tweeking to get it working.
sjh7132 4 months ago
Awesome work there, are you using ubuntu as platform?
gattopoldo 8 months ago
@gattopoldo Yes, and it was a pain to get it working. I'm not sure with the later versions if I could even do it. again.
sjh7132 8 months ago
I am currently learning OpenFOAM. The user manual does not give much details on coupling different solvers and mesh motion. Would you please guide me to learning material and tutorials for these tasks ....
hsafti 11 months ago
@hsafti There is only one version of openfoam that I know of that can rotate meshes and it's a derivative of openfoam by a different group of people. The version is Openfoam-1.5-dev. If you can find and install that version I can probably send you some examples.
sjh7132 10 months ago
Would it be possible for.you to make some tutorials?
dmobbs01 1 year ago
jup , it's cool
HeavyDemir 1 year ago
WOW... Thanks for this demostration!
curva130r 1 year ago
Hi sjh7132,
Great work! I also watched your video where you made an actual VAWT, that was very interesting too. I am a novice in OpenFoam, but interested in using it with a case like yours (unless it takes forever to finish!). Is there any place where I can look into your model? Is it possible for OpenFoam to let go everything such as rotation of the turbine, deformation of blade, once given wind coming in? Thank you for sharing your work with us !
field2esign 1 year ago
is the turbine rotating based on your own input at a constant rpm? or are the blades actually being "pushed" by the flow, such that the turbine is free to rotate on its own?
courtjester140 1 year ago
@courtjester140
The turbine is spinning at a constant RPM. It is possible to measure the torque on the turbine so that you can calculate power. See my other video "Lenz2 Blade Simulation" for an example of this in a 2d sim.
If you run the turbine at different RPMs and measure the power, you can predict how it will work given the load of an alternator.
sjh7132 1 year ago
@sjh7132
I see, so this is an investigation to it's ability to draw power from the wind. Whenever I see these I assume their purpose is to evaluate aerodynamic performance. I'll have to give OpenFOAM a go.
courtjester140 1 year ago
Great video! Congratulations! Can we access the case files? We are working with HAWTs and OpenFOAM. Thanks in advance!
Paulo Rocha
paulo {at} posmec [dot] ufc {dot} br
kleincryogen 1 year ago
Sorta opposite of what it should be. As I see it, though I am no expert either, it would be better to rotate the mesh that the windmill was not attached to in order to see how efficient it is at harnessing fluid in motion as opposed to how it displaces the fluid. As I said, though, I could very easily be wrong.
TehRacooonODoom 2 years ago
Remember that the mesh rotates, but the air doesn't. The turbine does rotate. But there is also a constant movement of air (wind) from left to right through all the mesh. So by rotating the mesh, and measuring the torque, we can calculate power.
sjh7132 2 years ago
Thanks for the info. , this really help with AutoCAD , I have (3)Projectors overlaying each other. To see the finish Design.
bikeman4k 2 years ago
Interesting simulation! :) How did you create the model for it?
MrNightLifeLover 2 years ago
I drew it in SolidWorks, then made an stl file, then used SnappyHexMesh to carve it out of the cylinder. I've learned much since this video. I think I need a finer mesh near the wing surface to better simulate the boundary layer. I've been working in 2d lately, but can't seem to get reasonable numbers.
sjh7132 2 years ago
What did you use to mesh it? Also, IMHO it would have been cooler to have displayed your contour plots with nodal values rather than cell centered data. I think you can change that applying a filter in paraFoam. I think its called cell2vertex.
Cheers! Thanks for the great video!
LinuxRex2 2 years ago
Actually I could have done cell centered data by just clicking on another button on the gui in parafoam.
I made the circular and square mesh with blockMesh. Then I cut the turbine out of it using snappy HexMesh.
I've gone to 2D sims now for speed and I'm using gmsh to make those meshes. I found that the regular pattern from blockMesh caused some problems. I prefer some randomness in the mesh.
sjh7132 2 years ago
Whoops, I meant I could have done node data....
sjh7132 2 years ago
I guess this is stuff that only computer simulation can see and predict since air is clear and things are happening fast for people. It's possible though that some smoke streams in the air and camera speeds can see some things, and even possibly in some water current.
trailkeeper 2 years ago
G'day Mate.
I don't suppose open FOAM can simulate heat transfer + CFD?
I am looking to simulate the performance of various CPU heat sink coolers with fans on them you see.
Kenjineering 2 years ago
How come you didn't include the top and bottom pieces of each wing like the real Lenz2 turbine?
Spinfuze 2 years ago
Until you said something, I didn't notice that I was missing some surfaces. I'll have to correct that and try again.
sjh7132 2 years ago
Your good
DeanC993 2 years ago
Very impressive! You might want to try a simpler test subject like a vertical round tube in moving air. :-)
Keep it up!
Caleb6543 2 years ago