Investigation of the actuator line method combined with dynamic stall modelling, and application to Airborne Wind Energy Systems

Details

Supervisors

Duponcheel, Matthieu ; Winckelmans, Grégoire

Faculty

Ecole polytechnique de Louvain

Degree label

Master [120] : ingénieur civil mécanicien, à finalité spécialisée

Abstract

enDynamic stall is a key feature of unsteady aerodynamics in lifting systems, as it can strongly affect aerodynamic loads and overall performance. This master's thesis investigates its impact on the efficiency of an AWES, comprising a tethered rigid-wing aircraft that generates power during the reel-out phase and consumes part of it during reel-in. The inherently unsteady operating conditions arise from the aircraft flying complex trajectories while being subjected to atmospheric turbulence. The aerodynamic behaviour of the aircraft is modelled with the actuator line method, including the effects of control surfaces. In this work, two dynamic stall models were implemented: the Beddoes-Leishman model and the recently developed IAG model. After validation, the Beddoes-Leishman model was applied to the simulation of an AWES. The results show that dynamic stall has a modest influence on system performance across a range of trajectories, with maximum gains limited to approximately 0.2%. This indicates that, under the studied conditions, simplified aerodynamic models without dynamic stall can yield accurate performance predictions at lower computational cost. The study also highlights the need for further investigations on broader AWES configurations and more realistic turbulent environments, where dynamic stall effects may become more relevant.