The Underwater Berlin Research Turbine: A Wind Turbine Model for Wake Investigations in a Water Towing Tank

The design of a three-bladed horizontal axis research wind turbine for wake investigations is described. The turbine has a rotor diameter of 1.3 m and will be operated in a large water towing tank at a submergence depth of 2.5 m, yielding 3.3 % blockage. The test rig is configured to allow for underwater-stereo-particle-image-velocimetry measurements of the near and the far wake at chordwise Reynolds numbers approaching 700 000. The low-Reynolds number airfoil SG6040 is selected to constitute the rotor blades. Cavitation-free operation is assured by assigning a rated angle of attack of 1°. The blades are designed to maintain a constant circulation along the blade span and to minimize tip deflections. The blade pitch angles are adjustable. Various blade designs, with and without passive flow control devices, can be tested by replacing individual blade sections. This eliminates the need for multiple sets of blades. Sensors for acquiring the turbine’s thrust, torque, rotational speed, the azimuthal positions of the blades, and the imposed blade root bending moments are incorporated into the design. The wind turbine simulation suite QBlade is utilized to simulate the turbine characteristics. A model of the entire test rig is derived, representing its structural properties. Results from the analytical verification of the structural model are provided. QBlade is utilized to analyze the test rig design by imposing design loads and calculating the modal properties.