Development of an Offshore Wind Turbine Model Using Computational Fluid Dynamics

Abstract

This paper presents the development of an offshore wind turbine model using computational fluid dynamics, (CFD). The offshore wind turbines were modelled in the ANSYS Fluent software package.  The aim of the research was to assess the potential of wind turbines as a renewable energy source for the Croatian coastal region and to examine the influence of rectangular and circular stationary domains on the aerodynamic characteristics and power coefficient (Cp) of the turbine. The simulations were carried out on a small horizontal-axis wind turbine equipped with blades of the NACA 6412 airfoil profile, at a maximum wind speed of 10 m/s and a typical tip-speed ratio (TSR, λ) of 3. The dependence of the power coefficient (Cp) on the tip-speed ratio (TSR, λ) was analysed, accompanied by numerical mesh validation and convergence assessment. The obtained results indicate that good agreement between numerical and experimental data is achieved only for λ values up to approximately 3, while significant deviations occur at higher TSR values, regardless of the chosen domain geometry. These deviations arise primarily from insufficient mesh density and limitations in computational resources, highlighting the sensitivity of CFD approaches to numerical settings. Although the current model does not provide a reliable estimation of the power coefficient Cp across the entire operating range, it forms a solid basis for future improvements, including mesh optimisation and time-step refinement.