Application of a 3D unsteady surface panel method with flow separation model to horizontal axis wind turbines

This work describes the development and application of a 3D unsteady surface panel method with a separation model to the problem of simulating the flow around the blades of a horizontal axis wind turbine. The present method is intended as a design tool to capture the 3D time-dependent characteristics of both attached and separated flow conditions and is an extension of previous 2D approaches. Flow separation is modelled using a loose coupling procedure between the inviscid panel method and a quasi-3D viscous boundary layer solution. A separated wake is shed at the predicted separation points and propagated at the local flow velocity, just like the trailing edge wake. The methodology is demonstrated on the NREL phase-VI wind turbine test case and the model predictions are compared to experimental measurements.