Towards improving the aerodynamic performance of a ducted wind turbine: A numerical study

This paper aims to study the aerodynamic performance of ducted wind turbines (DWT) using inviscid and viscous flow calculations by accounting for the mutual interaction between the duct and the rotor. Two generalized duct cross section geometries are considered while the rotor is modelled as an actuator disc with constant thrust coefficient. The analysis shows the opportunity to significantly increase the overall aerodynamic performance of the DWT by a correct choice of the optimal rotor loading for a given duct geometry. Present results clearly indicate that the increased duct cross section camber leads to an improved performance for a DWT. Finally, some insights on the changes occurring to the performance coefficients are obtained through a detailed flow analysis.