Abstract
The aerodynamics of the Wells turbine has been studied using 3-d, unstructured mesh flow solver for the Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes equations. The basic feature of the Wells turbine is that even though the cyclic airflow produces oscillating axial forces on the airfoil blades, the tangential force on the rotor is always in the same direction. Geometry used to define 3-D numerical grid is based upon that of an experimental test rig. The 3-D Wells turbine model, consisting of approximate 220,000 cells is tested of four axial flow rates. In the calculations the angle of attack has been varied between 10˚ and 30˚ of blades, Representative results from each case are presented graphically andy analysed. It is concluded that this technique holds much promise for future development of Wells turbines.
