ABSTRACT Over the years most studies on wake characteristics have been devoted to wind turbines, while few works are related to hydrokinetic turbines. Among studies applied to rivers, depth and width are important parameters for a suitable design. In this work, a numerical study of the wake in a horizontal-axis hydrokinetic turbine is performed, where the main objective is an investigation on the wake structure, which can be a constraining factor in rivers. The present paper uses the Reynolds Averaged Navier Stokes (RANS) flow simulation technique, in which the Shear-Stress Transport (SST) turbulent model is considered, in order to simulate a free hydrokinetic runner in a typical river flow. The NREL-PHASE VI wind turbine was used to validate the numerical approach. Simulations for a 3-bladed axial hydrokinetic turbine with 10 m diameter were carried out, depicting the expanded helical behavior of the wake. The axial velocity, in this case, is fully recovered at 12 diameters downstream in the wake. The results are compared with others available in the literature and also a study of the turbulence kinetic energy and mean axial velocity is presented so as to assess the influence of proximity of river surface from rotor in the wake geometry. Hence, even for a single turbine facility it is still necessary to consider the propagation of the wake over the spatial domain.

Difusores de aumento da potência de turbinas eólicas (DAWTs) têm sido amplamente estudados, uma vez que os difusores melhoraram o coeficiente de potência de turbinas eólicas, particularmente dos sistemas de pequeno porte. O difusor é um dispositivo que tem a função de provocar um aumento da velocidade do vento que passa através do plano do rotor eólico, devido a queda de pressão a jusante do difusor, por conseguinte, resultando em um aumento do coeficiente de potência do rotor. Esta tecnologia faz com que a turbina exceda o limite de Betz, onde a energia cinética máxima extraída do fluxo é de 59,26%. Assim, o presente estudo propõe um modelo matemático que descreva o comportamento do perfil de velocidade interna a três difusores cônicos, considerando as características do escoamento em torno deles. O modelo proposto baseia-se na lei de Biot-Savart, em que o filamento de vórtice induz um campo de velocidade num ponto arbitrário nos eixos de simetria dos difusores. Os resultados são comparados com dados experimentais obtidos para os três difusores, apresentando boa concordância.

The Diffuser Augmented Wind Turbines (DAWTs) have been widely studied, since the diffusers improve the power coefficient of the wind turbine, particularly of small systems. The diffuser is a device which has the function of causing an increase on the flow velocity through the wind rotor plane due to pressure drop downstream, therefore resulting in an increase of the rotor power coefficient. This technology aids the turbine to exceed the Betz limit, which states that the maximum kinetic energy extracted from the flow is 59.26%. Thus, the present study proposes a mathematical model describing the behavior of the internal velocity for three conical diffusers, taking into account the characteristics of flow around them. The proposed model is based on the Biot-Savart's Law, in which the vortex filament induces a velocity field at an arbitrary point on the axis of symmetry of the diffusers. The results are compared with experimental data obtained for the three diffusers, and present good agreement.